Leicester City vs Manchester City. Premier League.
The King Power StadiumAttendance32,087.
Match report and free highlights as Manchester City earn hard-fought victory over Leicester at the King Power Stadium courtesy of Bernardo Silva's 61st-minute winner; Silva ends run of 10 Premier League appearances without a goal
Saturday 11 September 2021 23:33, UK
Bernardo Silva's instinctive second-half strike was enough to ensure Manchester City made it three straight Premier League wins with a slender 1-0 victory at Leicester.
Jamie Vardy had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside as he was denied the chance to extend his fine personal record against Pep Guardiola's side.
Harvey Barnes struck the crossbar with a header but the visitors deserved their win, having been denied on several occasions by Kasper Schmeichel in the first half before Silva ended his 19-game wait for a club goal in all competitions, reacting quickly to tuck in a loose ball from an acute angle on 61 minutes.
The result means City move up to third place ahead of the gameweek's remaining fixtures while Leicester stay in ninth position.
Guardiola selected the same City starting line-up for the third consecutive match - the first time he had done so in the Premier League - with confirmation that Ederson and Gabriel Jesus were allowed to feature on Saturday morning following clearance from FIFA amid a row with the Brazilian football federation.
Victory against albeit a much-changed City team in the Community Shield in August gave Brendan Rodgers' men confidence, but they were forced onto the back foot for large sections of the opening period.
After six minutes, Jack Grealish embraced the role of creator-in-chief as the former Villan found Silva down the left before Jesus' header at the far post was saved smartly by Schmeichel, aided by Caglar Soyuncu's crucial block on the follow-up to deny Silva.
Leicester sprang into life as a brisk breakaway down the right allowed Vardy to cross low towards Barnes at the far post but a combination of Kyle Walker's sliding challenge and Ederson denied him.
Schmeichel was enjoying his afternoon, but he was unnecessarily brought into action on 19 minutes when a poor Ryan Bertrand pass was intercepted by Ferran Torres, enabling Silva to shoot low down to his left, drawing another fine fingertip save.
Rodri crunched into Youri Tielemans to take a booking, and there were calls for a second yellow when he eased Marc Albrighton off the ball moments later but this was a game played in a good spirit, allowed to flow courtesy of the league's new refereeing directive.
The pressure continued to build on Leicester's goal as Schmeichel blocked Torres' snap-shot before again frustrating City as Jesus took down Grealish's deep cross to smother from close range and ensure the half ended goalless.
Rodgers encouraged his players to show the same bravery in the final third as they had done on the ball close to their own goal - and his players emerged for the restart with added zest to their attacking play.
Within two minutes, a good advantage played by referee Paul Tierney allowed Vardy to cross but Barnes was unable to keep his header down, skimming the crossbar. Moments later, the ball was in the back of City's net.
Wilfred Ndidi released Vardy through the centre and having showed his composure to lose Ruben Dias and round Ederson, only the assistant referee's flag came to the visitors' rescue. It was a fractional decision but City took full advantage from the wake-up call.
Just when frustration was starting to sink into their game, Silva struck on the hour-mark. Grealish was involved, pushing the ball back for Joao Cancelo to cut across it with his strike. Soyuncu put in a tired block, allowing Silva to scamper onto the rebound and tuck his finish inside the far post.
Rodgers turned to Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman in the final 20 minutes, and the pair combined immediately as the latter was put through down the left but Ederson was quickly off his line to take the shot on his body.
When Iheanacho then headed wide Albrighton's cross, you sensed they had missed their final opportunity, however that was very nearly presented to them unexpectedly when Dias' clearance went straight to Lookman but the centre-back remarkably recovered to make a stunning block. City had earned their win.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers: "I thought we deserved something from the game. You have to stay in the game against a team of that quality but I thought we were excellent and created a lot of chances.
"We were unfortunate with their goal but apart from that I was proud of the team. Our players coped well. With a better final ball and a bit more luck, we might have got that goal.
"You know you have to defend well. You could argue we had the best chance with Harvey Barnes in the first half but they defended it well. You have to have the courage as a team to make blocks and defend the goal and I thought we did that well.
"Our ambition is always there. The quality of their team means they will have more of the ball than you so it means when you get your opportunity, you have to be more clinical. I thought first half we were looking for Jamie Vardy too early. Too many times we rushed the pass when it wasn't on but we were always ambitious."
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola: "We played really well from the first minute. After the international break, you always have doubts. We were a high level again for three weeks in a row. We had many chances and could have scored more goals. This is a step we still need to take.
"What can I say? The keeper is the best player of the Leicester team because we did many, many good things. You have to be patient. They are so dangerous when they attack outside so it's difficult to control them but we did well.
"They put substitutions on and they drop a little bit to get the ball so we knew it, but we played really well.
"Of course I'm happy with the three points. Our performance was outstanding. Leicester, like the last years, have always been fighting until the end. I'm very pleased. If you are able to score or shoot, I don't know how many, it is because you are doing very good things. Kasper Schmeichel is an incredible keeper and saves these goals."
Bernardo Silva combined menacingly throughout down the left with Grealish and took his goal well to cap a fine individual display, continuing his recent form having scored for Portugal during the international break against Azerbaijan.
Having been linked with a move away from the Etihad during the summer transfer window, this was the perfect demonstration that the midfielder is ready to play another important role this season, creating three key chances.
Silva ended a run of 10 Premier League appearances without a goal, netting his first since February against Everton.
On Silva's display, Guardiola said: "We score the last 11 goals from nine different players. It's the only way to sustain our level. [Bernardo Silva] is back in the best form and mentality. He is an exceptional player and we know it.
"I'm pretty sure he will [have a big season], and it's not just the quality he played with but the work ethic. We're still happy he's here and in the future we'll see what happens."
Sky Sports' Michael Dawson on Soccer Saturday:
"Brendan Rodgers may look back on this as an opportunity missed given the way they set up. We all knew they would look to play nice and narrow as they did and they allowed City to go wide with the space.
"We've seen it work on many occasions but Leicester looked dangerous on the counter-attack so Rodgers will be gutted. In the first five minutes, his side didn't even touch the ball but when they broke, they had clear-cut chances.
"Pep might well be thinking his side ought to have been out of sight given the opportunities and possession before Fernandinho and Grealish both had chances with the game stretched towards the end but they weren't clinical enough.
"When Torres came off for Sterling, it's in moments like that when you still feel they need a No 9 against sides who like to defend wide. Jesus had two headers from crosses, but Rodgers will be disappointed that his side didn't get anything out of it.
"When Vestergaard came off, the game immediately changed. I know he's been out for a long time while Jonny Evans has been out for a long time. Two minutes later, City scored."
Leicester start their Europa League group stage campaign on Thursday as they host Napoli at 8pm before visiting Brighton in the Premier League next Sunday at 2pm.
Manchester City host RB Leipzig on Wednesday in the Champions League group stage at 8pm before hosting Southampton next Saturday in the Premier League at 3pm.
