Citizens detach themselves six points from Liverpool, their immediate pursuer, who postponed his match due to the outbreak of covid-19.
In a great offensive football show the Manchester City and the Leicester they honored the ‘Boxing Day’ in a duel full of goals, chances and emotion from which the Spanish team Pep Guardiola (6-3) emerged victorious, who firmly protects his leadership in the Premier League.
It seemed like a doomed match when Manchester City won 4-0 after half an hour. But a commendable reaction from Leicester put the local team on alert, who had to regain concentration and impose the talent of their players in order not to lose points and accentuate their dominance in the tournament.
It’s Boxing Day is a tribute to the fan. So it was at the Etihad Stadium where the spectacle for the supporter prevailed over all things.
Manchester City came to fear a few minutes for a win that they had assured and that in the end they tied to accumulate nine consecutive victories in the English tournament.
Guardiola’s team had a brilliant start. Overwhelming. After four minutes, Kevin de Bruyne brought a great pass from Fernandinho into the net. Shortly before the quarter of an hour the VAR warned the referee of a grab by Belgian Youiri Tielemans to Aymeric Laporte in a corner. He whistled a penalty that Riyad Mahrez converted.
It did not stop Manchester City that stopped the attempted reaction of its rival who threatened with a foul executed by James Madisson that Ederson saved.
Next came the third. An attacking combination brought the ball to Portugal’s Joao Cancelo who sent a cross into the box from the right that Kasper Schmaichel could not intercept. The ball was dead, at the feet of Ikay Gundogan who carried the ball into the net.
It took five minutes for the fourth to arrive. It was on another penalty. Again committed by Tielemans who locked up Raheem Sterling. The Englishman took the shot and extended the lead.
The scoreboard invited a new scandal win but everything changed after the break at the hand of Madisson. The player’s inspiration encouraged the Brendan Rodgers outfit. In 55 a wall of his with the Nigerian Kelechi Ihenacho was the first visitor goal that four later he found the second in a combination against the African and Ademola Lookman who was the author.
At game time the third came. Madisson’s shot from far away was deflected by Ederson. He hit the stick later and Iheanacho picked it up to score the 4-3 and alert City.
Leicester did not have time to neutralize the advantage of Guardiola’s team that responded with the fifth goal scored by Spain’s Aymeric Laporte after a corner kick by Mahrez.
Thus came the sixth who sentenced the game. A new corner thrown by the Algerian who fell at the feet of Rubén Dias and was later picked up by Sterling to score from close range.
It was enough. The City tied the victory against a rival who always believed and who did not surrender despite the distances. City surpasses Liverpool by six points, which is pending its match against Leeds, postponed by the coronavirus. (D)
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