By Ian King
City’s notoriously bad run
Manchester City were as insipid as they have been at any stage over the last two months on Boxing Day, extending their bad run to one win in thirteen. A slide is gathering pace. One point and goal difference separate them from 9th place. They’re as far from Liverpool (1st) as they are from Crystal Palace (16th).
Leicester, meanwhile, don’t appear to have appreciably improved under Ruud van Nistelrooy, with their defence an ongoing issue. They’ve only kept one clean sheet all season, and that was at the start of October. Defeat in the fog at Liverpool on Boxing Night was their third in a row, with ten goals conceded.
Pointers from history
Leicester’s 3-1 win at Manchester City in February 2016 really sent out the message that the eventual fairytale champions really had a head of steam building up. But recent form has been patchier. Leicester’s last win against them came in the 2021 Community Shield at Wembley. Manchester City have won all four of their meetings since.
Key players
Questions are starting to be asked of Erling Haaland, who’s scored just four goals throughout this thirteen game run. He’s missed half as many penalties as he’s scored, and while much has been made of the loss of Rodri since his season-ending injury, it has felt at times as though Haaland has been just as absent, and he’s been on the pitch. Is it merely a supply issue? Is it fatigue? Something isn’t going according to plan.
For Leicester, the key question is how much more can they wring out of Jamie Vardy, who’s now a fortnight off his 38th birthday yet still playing with the energy of a man who runs on pure taurine alone. With six League goals already this season but with Leicester’s defence one of the division’s most porous, they need him fit and scoring more than ever.
Team News
Manchester City carry the same long-term losses, though there were no fresh injuries from the Everton match. Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker missed that one and may return, as could Kevin de Bruyne from the start. Jamie Vardy should return for Leicester after missing their trip to Anfield. Facundo Buonanotte and Harry Winks may also return.
Prediction
There’s been little to suggest that Leicester have been significantly revitalised by their new manager yet, despite taking the lead at Anfield and holding it until first half stoppage-time. But for Manchester City, this remains a test. Throughout their recent poor run, there’s been an expectation that they’ll just click back into gear and all this will be forgotten, but there have been few signs of this yet, and it’s starting to feel as though the rot may run deeper than injuries alone. We’ve been waiting for them to bottom out, but it hasn’t come yet. In the expectation that this can’t go on forever, I’m going City to nick this 2-1, giving Pep Guardiola a win on what is the occasion of the his 500th game in charge of the club.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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