Manchester City and Leicester delivered a Premier League classic on Sunday by exchanging nine goals, including a four-goal salvo in the match's opening 25 minutes from Pep Guardiola's team that the Foxes reduced to a one-goal advantage over the space of 10 ridiculous second-half minutes.
Last Wednesday, Leicester had suffered crushing disappointment in a League Cup quarterfinal defeat to Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers' side had led by margins of 2-0 and 3-1 but was still eliminated in a penalty shootout.
"They are such an honest bunch of players and it is always disappointing when you lose but I'll get them going again," Rodgers said on Friday. "They (City) are playing well at the minute, so we will just have to see where we are at and then devise a plan with the players available and see what we can do."
Center back Çaglar Söyüncü and right back Ricardo Pereira, out with injuries, were among six changes to the side, whereas City had enjoyed a midweek break and lined up Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez in attack with support from Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan and Fernandinho.
That attack overwhelmed, outnumbered and outclassed Leicester's defensive shape in a ridiculous opening 25-minute period that saw Man City storm to a 4-0 lead.
The first, arriving just five minutes in, was the best: Fernandinho's lofted dink that was cushioned by De Bruyne and finished on the turn.
That touch and finish from De Bruyne. @ManCityUS #MCILEI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/almkzeSfCN
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2021
Referee Chris Kavanagh was then instructed to look at the screen by the VAR in the 14th minute, leading to a Man City penalty for a Youri Tielemans foul on Aymeric Laporte. Mahrez buried the spot kick in the corner.
After review, the penalty is given and Mahrez scores double Manchester City's lead. #MCILEI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/sZdc7V7vXm
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2021
It was 3-0 in the 21st after Gündoğan tapped in following Kasper Schmeichel's flap at a João Cancelo cross.
¡LOS ‘CITYZENS’ ESTÁN ON FIRE!
@IlkayGuendogan aprovechó el regalo del arquero del @LCFC para solamente empujar la pelota y aumentar la cuota goleadora del @ManCity#LigaPremierTD #BoxingDay pic.twitter.com/mvnf7Pn3aD— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) December 26, 2021
Four minutes later, Tielemans conceded his second penalty of the afternoon — this one a foul on Sterling that the ref spotted. The Englishman picked out the same corner as Mahrez, making it 4-0 (four different goal scorers) with only 25 minutes played.
¡UN PENAL MÁS!
@sterling7 aumenta la cuota goleadora del @mancity en el marcador#LigaPremierTD #BoxingDay pic.twitter.com/nJgrZ6Sx9j— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) December 26, 2021
The only good news for Leicester at the halftime whistle was that the Foxes had carved a couple good opportunities of their own, especially whenever the in-form James Maddison got involved.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder was finally rewarded for his efforts in the 55th minute when starting and finishing a storming counterattack that initially felt like nothing more than a pretty, but incredibly meaningless, consolation goal.
The Leicester fans at the Etihad took up a "we're going to win five to four" chant and just four minutes later it was 4-2. Maddison released Kelechi Iheanacho, who threaded through Ademola Lookman for the finish.
Leicester have scored two goals in 4 minutes! Can they complete the comeback?
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2021
In the 65th, it somehow became a one-goal game after Ederson failed to deal with Maddison's long-range effort, allowing Iheanacho to convert on the rebound. 4-3.
IT'S ANOTHER GOAL FOR LEICESTER!
It's 4-3 now! It was 4-0 10 minutes ago!
: @peacockTV #MCILEI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/T2FstUl79y— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2021
But Manchester City killed the festive cheer by restoring its two-goal lead just four minutes later. It was a nice 69th minute goal — a towering header from Laporte that was directed back across the face of goal and into the far corner.
A much needed goal for Manchester City as they make it 5-3. So many goals. #MCILEI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/PzdfQKPAMN
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2021
Iheanacho and Marc Albrighton had chances to make it a one goal difference again, but Man City killed the game off in the 87th through Sterling, who was awarded Man of the Match honors for his brace.
"We just had to control the game," Sterling said during his post-match interview. "At 4-0 up you have to kill the game. Leicester have some really good players. They didn't get disheartened and kept going. Credit to them."
Manchester City goes six points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table, but the Reds maintain a game in hand. Leicester is in 10th, and they'll welcome Liverpool to the King Power on Tuesday. Man City is back in action on Wednesday with a trip to 11th-place Brentford.
