With Erling Haaland sidelined for up to seven weeks due to an ankle injury, Manchester City welcomed struggling Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium looking to maintain momentum in the race for Champions League qualification. Pep Guardiola made six changes to the side that edged Bournemouth in the FA Cup, while Ruud van Nistelrooy’s visitors arrived on a torrid run of seven straight Premier League defeats—without scoring a single goal in that time.
The gulf in quality was evident from the outset. City took an early lead through Jack Grealish before Omar Marmoush doubled their advantage before the half-hour mark, capitalising on a defensive mix-up. Leicester failed to muster a single shot on target and rarely looked capable of staging a response. The result lifts City back into the top four, while Leicester remain rooted in the relegation zone—12 points from safety and now without a goal in eight league matches.
Manchester City made a dream start at the Etihad, taking the lead inside two minutes. After Soumaré was caught in possession, Doku and Savinho combined smartly down the right. The Brazilian squared for Grealish, who timed his run perfectly and slotted home into the bottom corner for his first league goal since December.
Leicester briefly threatened on 16 minutes, when El Khannouss curled just wide from the edge of the box following good work from Ndidi. But City remained in control, and doubled their advantage in the 29th minute. A delicate pass from Rúben Dias caused confusion between Faes and Hermansen, allowing Marmoush to pounce and lash a shot in off the crossbar to double their lead.
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The hosts nearly added a third before half-time, with Hermansen tipping over Savinho’s drive and Marmoush firing over after a flowing move. By the interval, City had enjoyed over 70% possession and looked firmly in command.
The second half brought little change. Leicester made early substitutions—removing Vardy, who managed just eight first-half touches—but failed to pose any real attacking threat. City were rarely troubled, controlling possession and managing the game with maturity.
Marmoush had a late free-kick blocked and Oscar Bobb returned from injury to a warm reception, but the scoreline stayed unchanged. City saw out a routine win with minimal fuss, while Leicester’s poor run continued—without a goal in seven league games and still deep in relegation trouble.
**MCI:** Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; González, Gündogan; Savinho, Grealish, Doku; Marmoush.
**LEI:** Hermansen; Faes, Coady, Thomas; Justin, Ndidi, Soumaré, Kristiansen; El Khannouss, Daka; Vardy.