Kevin De Bruyne got things rolling after five minutes before Riyad Mahrez scored from the spot on 14 minutes. Two more goals followed before the twenty-fifth minute as Ilkay Gundogan and a Raheem Sterling penalty put City in a apparently impregnable run.
9 – man City five Leicester is the first always @ premierleague game on Boxing Day to see adenine many as nine goals, and the highest score pit in the top-flight overall on Boxing Day since Oldham 3-6 Man Utd in 1991. Feast .— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2021
But Leicester came roaring back when James Maddison, Ademola Lookman and Kelechi Iheanacho scored three quickfire goals after the break to leave the Premier League leaders a little panicky. Ayermic Laporte eased those nerves by heading home for 5-3 before some more poor defending from Leicester from a set-piece allowed Sterling to poke home from close stove. City have now won their last nine Premier League games, scoring 30 goals in the action .
How a Christmas cracker unfolded…
Leicester were without three of their first-choice back four and Guardiola ‘s men wasted no time in putting the improvised backline under pressure. De Bruyne had them ahead after good five minutes .
Player ratings
Man City: Ederson ( 7 ), Cancelo ( 7 ), Dias ( 6 ), Laporte ( 7 ), Zinchenko ( 7 ), Fernandinho ( 6 ), Silva ( 8 ), Gundogan ( 7 ), Mahrez ( 8 ), De Bruyne ( 9 ), Sterling ( 8 )
Subs: Foden ( 7 )
Leicester: Schmeichel ( 6 ), Albrighton ( 5 ), Amartey ( 5 ), Vestergaard ( 5 ), Thomas ( 6 ), Tielemans ( 5 ), Maddison ( 9 ), Dewsbury-Hall ( 7 ), Lookman ( 7 ), Perez ( 5 ), Iheanacho ( 8 )
Subs: Castagne ( 7 ), Choudhury ( 6 )
Man of the match: Kevin De Bruyne
The belgian had already had one shot on goal blocked when he coolly controlled Fernandinho ‘s lob ball into the box and curled beyond Kasper Schmeichel .
trope :
Kevin De Bruyne scores Man City ‘s first goal ( AP )
The hosts doubled their lead with the first of their penalties nine minutes later after Youri Tielemans was deemed to have bundled over Laporte in the box, something that was missed by the referee Chris Kavanagh but spotted by VAR. Mahrez, up against his early club, made no mistake as he thumped into the roof of the web from 12 yards.
Team news
- Pep Guardiola made two changes from the win over Newcastle. There was no Rodri in the squad so Fernandinho got a rare start – just his fourth in the Premier League this season. Gabriel Jesus dropped to the bench so Ilkay Gundogan played from the start. Phil Foden and Jack Grealish remained out of favour and on the bench.
- Brendan Rodgers was forced into six changes from the team that beat Newcastle in their last Premier League match. Timothy Castagne, Caglar Soyuncu, Jonny Evans, Wilfred Ndidi, Harvey Barnes and Patson Daka were are unavailable to start so Marc Albrighton, Daniel Amartey, Jannik Vestergaard, Ademola Lookman, Ayoze Perez and Kelechi Iheanacho replaced them.
Leicester briefly rallied with first Maddison having a well-struck free-kick palmed onto the crossbar by Ederson and truly looked very dangerous on the break, yet it was the league leaders that grabbed the adjacent goal on 21 minutes. Joao Cancelo drilled a low testis into the box which Schmeichel pushed it away from goal but Gundogan was on hand to tuck home the recoil from conclusion range. City ‘s fourth came after they were awarded another penalty shortly afterwards. Tielemans was again the guilty party as he tripped Sterling and this time Kavanagh had no hesitation in making the decision. sterling stepped up to score himself with another firmly-hit attempt .
persona :
Raheem Sterling scores the fourth from the spot ( AP )
Schmeichel kept the scoreline from hitting dangerous awkward levels with two superb stops in denying a sterling close-range fusillade and Gundogan ‘s dipping effort from outdistance. It was anticipated that City would look to enhance their goal difference even further after the break. however, Rodgers switched to a back five with Maddison playing off the correct and it led to an incredible menstruation of play where they scored three goals in 10 minutes.
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An inspire Maddison started and finished the first of them, breaking off from the defense with a neat snap and then firing securely past Ederson after combining with Iheanacho. Maddison then launched another counter-attack by again picking out Iheanacho, but this time it was Lookman who raced onto the Nigerian ‘s through-ball to tuck home. Leicester roared forward again and Iheanacho snapped up a recoil after Maddison tested Ederson from distance to make it 4-3. One of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history looked on with City becoming nervous with their guide but City eased nerves as Laporte headed home from a recess to restore a two-goal shock absorber in the 69th moment. City regained control of the couple and Sterling added a late sixth in what was a pulsate good afternoon of entertainment.
Man of the match: Kevin De Bruyne
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Star homo : Kevin De Bruyne
It ‘s a distressing agent for all of Manchester City ‘s rivals this season that they sit six points clear at the top of the Premier League and De Bruyne is merely just hitting top form. This was another slice of testify to suggest that the bright Belgian is once again at ease with his game. Every pass he makes count so satiny. And his substitute with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan was a rejoice to behold in the first 45 minutes where Leicester decided to award that dangerous trio far besides a lot space. De Bruyne opened the scoring with a clinical stopping point and he created three chances for his teammates – more than any other City player. special citation besides has to go to Maddison, who remains Leicester ‘s most potent weapon. He was great in the pocket, giving Fernandinho the footrace about .
What the managers said
Man City boss Pep Guardiola : “ The game was open tied at 4-0, it was not closed. They are a big club with choice. second half they changed the condition. “ We know the timbre they have in the build-up, when Maddison can play and Tielemans can play and Kelechi and Lookman, the last six Premier League games we won five but then therefore unmanageable. “ They have an especial director. Laporte slipped and Ruben had one chicken to be suspended and was not aggressive adequate. “ then 4-1 and 4-2 and the mentality of the players changed. 4-3 the game was close to be equalised. We were more affected role and they had two more chances and we had chances excessively and set-pieces we won the game. ” Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible television player
Pep Guardiola described Manchester City ’ s first half display as ‘ exceeding ’ after they beat leicestershire 6-3 in a very entertain match at the Etihad stadium .
Leicester foreman Brendan Rodgers : “ It was a unmanageable start to the bet on for us, truly defeated with the punishment, very voiced, so that was frustrating. We came in at half-time, the scoreline for me did n’t reflect the crippled. We had eight shots, they had nine, but we were 4-0 down. We were in a hard position, but we make a transfer, and then we challenge the players in the second half to win the second half, bring us closer to their goals, we have to show the mentality and character that is in this team. “ We never unravelled, that could have been an easy thing to do, down 4-0 to the champions but the players did n’t do that. We played some incredible football, disappointing to concede from a set-piece but we had two big chances at 5-3. Conceding two penalties and two from set-pieces is disappointing. ” Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video actor
Brendan Rodgers criticised the officiating during Leicester ’ s 6-3 frustration to Man City and was particularly defeated with the decision to award the first punishment after it was referred to VAR .
Opta stats
- Manchester City have scored 6+ goals in consecutive home Premier League games (7-0 vs Leeds, 6-3 today) for the first time since November 2013, when they beat Norwich 7-0 and Spurs 6-0.
- Leicester City were 4-0 down inside 25 minutes in this match, the first time a side had found themselves four goals down that early in a Premier League game since Watford were 4-0 down after 15 minutes against Manchester City in September 2019.
- There were eight different scorers in this match, the most since Liverpool’s 5-3 win over Chelsea in July 2020 (also eight). In Premier League history, only Spurs 4-5 Arsenal in November 2004 has seen more different scorers in a Premier League game (9, excl. own goals).
- Mahrez scored in four consecutive appearances in English football for the first time since he moved to Leicester in 2014 – he has scored for Man City against RB Leipzig, Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester this month.
- Maddison has been involved in 11 goals in his last eight appearances in all competitions (6 goals, 5 assists) and has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances.
What’s next?
Manchester City take their winning run to Brentford on Wednesday ( 8.15pm kick off ) whilst Leicester master of ceremonies Liverpool on Tuesday ( 8pm kick off ).