Kev De best BUT BOSS GUARDIOLA CALLS FOR
PEP GUARDIOLA’S main message after this narrow triumph at Leicester was that Kevin De Bruyne is now back to his best.
But he painted a strange picture to make his point after the Belgian delivered a sumptuous free-kick to settle the outcome.
After asking the playmaker to up his game, following last week’s defeat of Brighton, De Bruyne stepped up by thumping home a 25-yard set-piece.
It was needed too as dogged Leicester stuck to a defensive game plan that stifled the visitors as they huffed and puffed without an injured Erling Haaland (right, top).
City boss Guardiola said: “I have spent
seven seasons with Kevin. We have d except sleep together.
“I know him quite going to change my opi what he has done for th personally, but I have want more’.
“I want this Kevin. Kevin. The game again scored a fantastic go enough.
“Because that goal – blindfolded – he can d
“But we need him inv involved, and today he “He was back.”
The news surroun injury, however, was no
Guardiola added: “I d he will return. He has lig
“He won’t play a because we’ve already
“Hopefully, against
help us. If not, he might play against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.”
It was a good week for City who leapfrogged Arsenal to get back to the top of the
Premier League table with these three points. This, of course, on the back of qualification to the knockout stages of the
Champions League.
After a tricky midweek assignment in Germany against Borussia Dortmund, this always promised to be difficult, with the hosts having enjoyed an upturn in their recent form.
Foxes boss Brendan
Rodgers (right) has enjoyed more success than most against City.
And he set out to frustrate from the first whistle. It was dull. But it was effective.
And it was not until sub Nampalys Mendy upended Jack
Grealish a few minutes into the secondhalf that De Bruyne was given the chance to slap a right-footed freekick past Danny Ward off the inside of the post.
Leicester hit back. A corner swung to the edge
of the area by James Maddison was met fiercely on the volley by Youri Tielemans only for Ederson to somehow divert the shot on to the crossbar.
It was a defining moment. The Foxes pressed late on but never came as close again to grabbing an equaliser.
Maddison said: “When you play City you’ve got to take your medicine, accept you’re not going to see the ball for ten minutes.
“We were compact. We limited them to as few moments as we could.
“But then arguably the best player in the Premier League delivered a special moment.” Leicester’s man was engaged in conversation with Guardiola as he left the pitch.
When quizzed about the nature of their discussion, he added: “He just asked me why we didn’t play for the whole game like we did in the last 15 minutes.”
The home side’s confidence is brittle. Defending so deeply was one way to ensure it was not broken.
So, Rodgers himself was more circumspect afterwards.
He made no apologies for his approach to the match, against one of the best sides in Europe. He said: “We wanted to stay in the game. We didn’t have too many scares.
“We know they are going to dominate the ball. But we lacked a little belief and that let us down – mainly because of our inability to keep the ball.
“And you talk about a game of inches. A couple of inches wider and Kevin’s effort stays out. A couple of inches lower and Youri’s goes in.
“Those are the fine margins we talk about.”