Manchester City, at least temporarily, rose to first place in the Premier League after securing a 1-0 win over Leicester City.
Man City traveled to the King Power Stadium to face the Foxes in their last game in the English top flight. They were without Erling Haaland, who was left out of the squad after suffering a knock during their Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund earlier this week.
After a goalless first half, Man City took the lead in the 49th minute of the game, thanks to a spectacular goal from speculative Kevin de Bruyne.
Nampalys Mendy, coming on as a second-half substitute, brought down Jack Grealish in a dangerous position, and the referee awarded the visitors a foul. De Bruyne stepped forward to take the shot, and his effort went off the post to give Man City the lead.
Manchester City vs Leicester City: What do the stats say?
The defending Premier League champions unsurprisingly dominated possession against Leicester City. Man City had 65% of the possession against the Foxes.
Man City also registered 15 shots, five of them on target. Leicester City, meanwhile, took 10 shots with five of them on target.
Man City also won 10 corners in the game, seven more than Leicester had managed. But they couldn’t convert any of those set pieces.
However, his goal eventually came from a set piece, and De Bruyne’s brilliant free-kick shot proved to be the winner.
What does this result mean in the context of the Premier League title race?
Victory over Leicester City lifts Man City to the top of the Premier League points table, at least temporarily.
Pep Guardiola’s men have 29 points in 12 games in the English top flight so far this season. The Cityzens have recorded nine wins, two draws and one win in the Premier League so far in the 22/23 season.
Manchester City, however, have played one more game than second-placed Arsenal. The Gunners have 28 points from 11 games, one game fewer than Man City have played. Arsenal host Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in a Premier League game. The north London team will claim top spot if they win that game.
