Costa’s on the money as leaders pass test
WOLVES continued their relentless surge towards the Premier League – but they were made to work hard for it.
Alfred N’Diaye put them in control after 12 minutes before Helder Costa doubled their advantage nine minutes later.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have lost just four league games this season and you thought at 2-0 it was game, set and match to Wolves.
But Ian Holloway’s Rangers put them through a severe second-half examination.
Conor Washington netted a 51st-minute strike before Matt Smith, Pawel Wszolek and Ebere Eze all came close to grabbing an equaliser.
Holloway said: “Fair play to the lads, we changed it around in the second half and caused them problems.
“Sometimes when you’re top of the league and you’re two-nil up you think you’ve won the game.
“I’m pleased with the character and second-half performance but I’m not pleased with the first half.”
Rangers had two chances to break the deadlock inside the opening five minutes.
Washington fired straight at John Ruddy in the second minute and the striker was then put through by Luke Freeman only to see his shot deflected for a corner.
Failing to convert those chances soon came back to haunt him as N’Diaye broke the deadlock.
Ivan Cavaleiro sent a ball into the area and N’Diaye was on hand to bundle the ball home from six yards.
Cavaleiro was also the creator of the second after he exchanged passes with Diogo Jota and raced clear of a flat-footed defence.
He looked set to score himself but he unselfishly fed Costa, who had the simple task of turning the ball home.
That looked like it would kill the game off but the visitors were revived by a half-time pep talk from Holloway and the introduction of Smith.
The big striker made an instant impact when his shot from a corner was parried by Ruddy into the path of Washington, who volleyed the ball home from six yards.
Try as they might, though, a leveller never came.
Santo said: “A good result and a good win.”
KEVIN DE BRUYNE will get silver at the end of the season – but he is worth his weight in gold to Manchester City.
The coveted Player of the Year award will surely come his way. In fact, it could be delivered by courier to The Etihad any time now.
And no doubt De Bruyne will get his hands on some more silverware as this slick, scintillating City side continue their demolition of the Premier League to build a 16-point lead going into today’s games.
The Belgian played a major part in the first three goals, with Raheem Sterling scoring his 20th of the season before Sergio Aguero netted in the seventh consecutive home game for the first time.
But the Argentine was not just happy with his third hat-trick of the season.
He finished off with a fabulous fourth to rub shoulders with De Bruyne for the man-of-the-match awards.
Jamie Vardy had given Leicester hope with a first-half equaliser but there was no stopping a rampant City as boss Pep Guardiola applauded his side racking up 107 goals in an incredible season.
And incredible is the word. So is magnificent. Or unbelievable. No wonder the City fans sang non-stop their famous, “We’re not really here” anthem, as their heroes celebrated a 13th straight league win at The Etihad.
It was a bit surreal, too, seeing Riyad Mahrez on the other City bench after coming a few multi-million pounds away from a transfer-window move to the champions-elect.
It had not been an easy journey for him to the substitute’s dugout after going absent from the Leicester training ground and missing valuable game-time.
But here he was at the stadium he thought he could be calling home watching at close quarters the players who could have been his team-mates.
And they were a formidable sight as Guardiola’s gunslingers stormed into the lead after just two minutes and five seconds to leave Leicester completely shell-shocked.
De Bruyne delivered yet another danger ball, Marc Albrighton missed it and Sterling poked home to make huge amends for his miss of the season at Burnley a week ago.
It was a case of, ‘Look what you could have had Mahrez’.
But just as the home fans sat back and waited for the customary goal avalanche, Leicester drew level through that man Vardy.
The equaliser was the result of a quick break. The England man won a 50-50, ran at Ilkay Gundogan who slipped and then took Aymeric Laporte out wide before somehow finding the bottom of the net.
City were shocked. This definitely was not in the Guardiola script although his side responded by peppering Kasper Schmeichel’s goal in a bid to swat the nuisance opposition away.
Gundogan had a dig and Bernardo Silva had a go, too. Fernandinho joined in the action as City desperately tried to restore their lead.
De Bruyne cut inside and hammered in a beauty but Schmeichel was up to the test and Sterling rounded the keeper but could not squeeze the ball in from an acute angle.
Leicester breathed a sigh of relief as referee Mike Jones blew the half-time whistle.
The respite lasted for just three minutes after the restart, though, as City showed just why they have been inundated with rave notices about their wonderful, mesmerising style of play.
De Bruyne, who else, fed Sterling who reverse-passed it back and in a flash the ball was arrowed to Aguero, who finished off a magical move.
And the old one-two worked again in the 53rd minute when City stormed into a 3-1 lead. Kyle Walker refused to give up the chase, Schmeichel only half-cleared and the ball found its way again to De Bruyne.
He slipped a slide-rule pass to Aguero once more and his shot was too hot to handle for the unfortunate Leicester keeper.
Claude Puel’s side tried to stem the flow and it was no surprise that Mahrez was called on as a substitute in the 62nd minute to a rousing cheer from the fans – and a few muffled boos.
But all eyes switched again to Aguero as he completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute, courtesy of a keeper cock-up.
There looked little danger until Schmeichel cleared tamely to Aguero who did not look a gift horse in the mouth and gratefully chipped over the hapless Dane.
It was not over, with Aguero having the final emphatic word with a dipper in off the bar as he acknowledged the worship of the Etihad faithful.