In a heated affair at the King Power Stadium, Manchester City pulled off a sneaky 1-0 victory over Leicester City in the fourth match week of the 2021-22 Premier League season. The Foxes offered tough resistance to Pep Guardiola’s dominant City side, but in the end, the Cityzens managed to come out on top with the help of a second-half strike by Bernardo Silva. With the match done and dusted, let’s take a look at four talking points in the afternoon game:
Kyle Walker leading City’s watertight defence
In an all-around performance, Manchester City proved to be the better side on both fronts. An adept attacking line-up coupled with a rock-solid defence assured another victory for the Sky Blues. Leading City’s backline was Kyle Walker, who put in yet another masterful performance at the back. The sturdy right-back made a sensational block to prevent Leicester City from taking the lead early on in the game. On top of that, his lightning pace enabled him to track back after taking part in the attack, recovering the ball on multiple occasions. Furthermore, Ruben Diaz and Aymeric Laporte proved to be a formidable duo at the back, keeping Vardy quiet and blocking shots, left and right. A consistent performance from Ederson capped off a spectacular defensive performance by the Cityzens.
Jamie Vardy’s goal controversially disallowed
Before the Sky Blues could open the scoring at the King Power Stadium, Leicester City had few instances that scared the City fans. In a moment of magic, Harvey Barnes snatched the control away from the opponents and fired a shot at the goal, only to see it hit the woodwork. Nevertheless, the most controversial moment in the match came when Jamie Vardy‘s effort was ruled out in the 49th minute. Sensing a rare opportunity, Wilfried Ndidi played a quick ball to Vardy, who skillfully rounded off Ederson to fire Leicester home. However, before the Englishman could celebrate with his teammates, the goal was correctly ruled offside.
Bernardo Silva continues his blistering form
The underrated Portuguese playmaker popped up yet again to pull City out off a scuffle by scoring the game’s only goal in the 62nd minute. Having played all game brilliantly, the 27-year-old creator got the recognition he deserved by slotting the ball past Ederson. A powerful shot by Rodri from the edge of the box was superbly saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but the Danish shot-stopper bundled it over to a menacing Bernardo Silva. Capitalizing on the chance, Silva pounced instantly to fire City home. His strike proved to be the winner for the Cityzens, opening his scoring tally for this season.
City’s extend their dominance in the Premier League
With their third win in four league games, Manchester City continue their run on the top. This win sees Guardiola’s side climb up to second place, one position behind the resurgent Manchester United. After a shock defeat at the hands of Tottenham, the Sky Blues spent no time recouping their usual form. City bounced back almost instantly, putting five past a toothless Arsenal side. They already boast the best goal difference in league with 11 goals scored and just the one conceded. Having won three of the last four Premier League titles, Manchester City extended their red-hot form with a dominant performance against the Foxes. For the fifth season running, City are in the driving seat to retain the league title.
