Rodgers makes rare false move
Silva pounces for City after Vestergaard is subbed off
IF Brendan Rodgers has ambitions to one day succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, he may need to be luckier with his substitutions.
There is no doubt Rodgers is one of the most talented coaches of his generation and yesterday his Leicester side gave the champions another thorough examination, having already beaten them in the Community Shield in August.
But the points were settled following a change in personnel by the Foxes boss after an hour when he took off the game’s best player at that time, Jannik Vestergaard, to give Jonny Evans his first action of the season following a foot injury.
Within 30 seconds of Evans’ arrival, the visitors had conjured up a great chance amid mis-communication in the Leicester defence. Thirty seconds after that, the winner had been scored.
Jack Grealish had time on the lefthand side to pick out Joao Cancelo, and his shot cannoned off Caglar Soyuncu into the path of Bernardo Silva who gleefully shot home.
In fairness, Vestergaard himself hadn’t featured since the opening day because of knee problems. But the Danish international was heroic in his first Premier League start since a summer move from Southampton, making three massive blocks any Viking would have been proud of.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but w i th Leicester defending so well at that stage of the game surely the centrehalf could have lasted another five minutes. ‘I was delighted with Jannik. He has great presence in the box and calmness on the ball.
The plan was to get him to 60 minutes and when he started to get fatigued, bring in Jonny,’ explained Rodgers.
Despite only one goal being scored, it was a cracking game between two of the Premier League’s most pleasing teams.
Manchester City had lost their previous four games away from the Etihad, three without scoring, so there would have been relief when the excellent Silva snaffled his opportunity from close range.
In truth they could have won by more, with Kasper Schmeichel making seven excellent stops against the club where he began his career.
But Leicester, kings of the counter-attack, would argue they could have snatched a point. Harvey Barnes hit the crossbar with a header while Jamie Vardy, who has scored more goals against Guardiola than any other player, had a goal ruled out for a fractional offside.
‘It was an excellent, excellent performance,’ enthused Guardiola about his side. ‘Leicester is not the easiest fixture after an international break and you always doubt, but the mentality was brilliant.
‘We played really well, created a lot and conceded few. The last three games have been incredibly good.’
Of his match-winner, who was rumoured to be leaving the club in the summer, Guardiola added: ‘Bernardo’s connection with Jack and Joao was brilliant.
‘I’m always sure he is going to have a good season with his incredible running and work ethic. We’re happy he is still here and we will see what happens in the future.’
Guardiola was able to pick Ederson and Gabriel Jesus after a late climbdown by the Brazilian FA. So he picked an unchanged team and saw them begin as brightly as their crisp white shirts.
In the opening five minutes, the
visitors forced three corners; Jesus was denied by Schmeichel and from the rebound Vestergaard managed to twice block from Silva.
The Leicester counter also threatened to pay dividends. Vardy charged and crossed towards Barnes who was beaten by a brilliant interception from Kyle Walker and careered into Ederson. After treatment, the ‘keeper continued with cotton stuffed into his mouth to stem the blood.
The champions bossed the
remainder of the first half with Silva seizing on a mistake by Youri Tielemans to force Schmeichel into tipping around the post. Grealish, growing in confidence, attempted a Cantona-style chip p that dropped just the wrong ong side of the post.
Fer ran Torres turned and shot at Schmeichel and was then denied by a last-ditch block by Vestergaard that brought Rodgers to the edge of his technical area to applaud. .
The hosts were more ore positive after the break. reak. Vardy’s turn of pace and d cross saw Barnes beat Ederson with his header only for the ball to hit the top of the bar and bounce to safety.
And when Vardy latched on to Wilfred Ndidi’s pass and rounded Ederson to score, his knee was adjudged to have been offside.
Vestergaard was given a standing
ovation as he left the field but had barely sat down before his teammates conceded. Guardiola immediately sent on Raheem Sterling to try and press home the advantage, but bu it was Leicester who nearly snatched a late equaliser. Debutant Ademola Lookman L combined with Kelechi Iheanacho, racing clear only to be b confronted by Ederson E rushing out to meet him. He duly shot sho the ball into the Brazilian’s Braz chest.
‘I felt we deserved something from f the game,’ said