Pep’s men get lucky as they close in on Champions League
MANCHESTER CITY 2 Silva (29), Gabriel Jesus (36) pen LEICESTER CITY 1 Okazaki (42)
TO the relief of Pep Guardiola, the club’s Spanish hierarchy and the Abu Dhabi millionaires that fund them all, Manchester City look to have all but secured their consolation prize.
Win their last two games and they’ll be in the Champions League next season.
Big wow! Most people thought they’d be getting ready to lift the Premier League title.
Even this downgraded target needed two huge slices of luck.
David Silva’s opener should have been ruled out because Raheem Sterling was offside, and Riyad Mahrez had the rare distinction of having a late penalty disallowed that would have tied the game at 2-2.
The Algerian beat Willie Caballero from the spot, but slipped as he was doing so and kicked the ball against his standing foot and referee Bobby Madley awarded City a free-kick.
Technically it was the correct decision, but the law is meant to outlaw deliberate double hits, not accidental ones.
Guardiola admitted that in his long career he’d never been involved in a match when a similar incident had occurred, but congratulated Madley for his “bravery.”
“The only time I’ve seen it before has been on TV,” he said.
“I realised the shooting was strange and understood when I saw the reaction from Willie.
“But the rule is clear, it’s the same in golf and the ref was so brave.”
Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare reluctantly agreed, saying: “It’s a freak, a double touch and letter of law states it doesn’t stand.
“But maybe an eagle-eyed official should have noted encroachment of two Man City players before the slip.
“And when they scored their first, Sterling made an effort to touch the ball and the replays confirm he’s in an offside position.
“More experienced managers than me have talked about giving referees help in terms of the really crucial decisions because that’s one that’s gone against us.”
The two incidents cost Leicester a result, but as they were always going to finish in mid- table, little else. However, the knock-on effects could end up costing one of City’s Champions League rivals, Arsenal or Liverpool, about £50m!
Gabriel Jesus had earlier kept his feet on the same penalty spot to add to Silva’s goal and Shinji Okazaki had reduced the deficit with a superb volley just before half-time.
When the computer generated the fixture list last July, this could have been a title decider – last year’s Premier League winners against this year’s would-be champions.
But Leicester’s defence of their crown has been woeful and they officially relinquished it when Chelsea won at the Hawthorns.
With City, the employment of the world’s most successful manager has been all promise and no delivery. Guardiola puts his failure to compete for the title down to his need to acclimatise to the Premier League.
Two words for him: Antonio Conte.
City were eight points ahead of Chelsea in October and are now 15 behind. The Italian has adjusted to England, the Spaniard hasn’t.
Leicester came into the game having earned 22 points from 10 games under manager Shakespeare. Only Mauricio Pochettino had a better return in that time. They held out for half an hour, before Silva swept in Leroy Sane’s pass.
There were long, drawn-out Foxes protests because Sterling was standing in an offside position in front of Kasper Schmeichel and waved his foot at the ball, though he didn’t make contact.
There were no arguments five minutes later when Y oh an Benalouane flattened Sane.
Yaya Toure picked up the ball looking for a goal to mark his 34th birthday, but the Brazilian took it off him and sent Schmeichel the wrong way from the spot.
Okazaki gave Shakespeare’s team a foothold in the game with a goalof-the- season contender – a leftfooted volley from Marc Albrighton’s cross – in the 42nd minute.
Fernandinho’s elbow caught Albrighton in the eye in the 64th minute. Madley saw it and judged the contact accidental, but replays cast doubt on that judgement. Albrighton’s shiner confirmed contact.
In the 76th minute, Mahrez was brought down by Gael Clichy for a stonewall penalty, before he was left red-faced.