Man City vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today
Follow all the fallout from the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City host Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon as part of the Premier League’s Boxing Day action.
With Covid hitting the schedule hard, Brendan Rodgers’ side face an uphill task to stop the defending champions.
With Pep Guardiola’s side hitting top form and with the opportunity to move six points clear at the top of the table, the Foxes will need to show immense character after a crushing penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. Leicester are ninth in the table and can close the gap on those above them in the European spots, with Tottenham in seventh just four points ahead.
City can make it eight straight domestic wins today as both Liverpool and Chelsea struggle to keep pace, with Bernardo Silva in scintillating form after inspiring another dominant win last time out against Newcastle. Guardiola has also urged supporters to continue doing their bit to ensure games do not return to behind closed doors, while also helping to ensure society is as safe as possible: “I want to trust the people who know and they say this is the safest way – take a vaccine. People don’t die when they take a vaccine. Wearing a mask is so important, like social distancing and hand sanitisers, so let’s try to do it. Otherwise, it may (come back) again and again and again.”
Follow all the post-match reaction from the Etihad Stadium and re-live goal updates from a Boxing Day thriller:
GOAL! Man City 6 - 3 Leicester (Sterling, 87’)⚽️
87 mins: Sterling dribbles into the right side of the box and wins a corner for Manchester City. This one is whipped in towards Ruben Dias who heads the ball down into the six-yard box where Sterling turns the ball into the back of the net! That’s game over now.
Man City 5 - 3 Leicester
84 mins: James Maddison is a frustrating figure out there. He gets a long talking to from the referee and needs to be careful as he’s already on a yellow card. Since Aymeric Laporte’s goal Manchester City have kept Leicester pretty quiet.
Man City 5 - 3 Leicester
81 mins: Daniel Amartey is almost caught on the ball by Riyad Mahrez as Leicester try to play out from the back. Mahrez leans on the defender though, Amartey goes down and luckily is awarded a free kick.
Man City 5 - 3 Leicester
78 mins: Arsenal and Tottenham have each scored again and both London sides lead their respective matches 3-0. There’s another cracking game going on at the London Stadium where West Ham are currently chasing Southampton, the Saints have a 3-2 lead over the Hammers.
Lookman and Thomas combine on the left side for Leicester with Thomas making a run into the box and Lookman sending him the ball. Thomas chips a cross to the back post where Marc Albrighton pops up and heads an effort at goal wide of the near post!
Man City 5 - 3 Leicester
75 mins: James Maddison fouls Fernandinho just outside his own box and is shown a yellow card for booting the ball away. Ruyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan stadn over the free kick. It’s Mahrez who takes it and his effort at goal is fired straight into the wall. The ball comes back to him but his second attempt at goal is booted high and wide.
Aston Villa vs Chelsea: Line-ups
Aston Villa XI: Martínez, Cash, Targett, Konsa, Mings, Luiz, Sanson, Buendia, Watkins, Ings, Ramsey
Chelsea XI: Mendy, Rudiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Silva, Kante, Pulisic, Chalobah, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, James
Man City 5 - 3 Leicester
72 mins: Hamza Choudhury is on for Leicester replacing Youri Tielemans. Kevin De Bruyne is alos off and Phil Foden has come on for Manchester City.
There are less than 20 minutes to go at the Etihad, can Leicester find a way back into the game?
GOAL! Man City 5 - 3 Leicester (Laporte, 69’)⚽️
69 mins: Another one! Manchester City win a corner and this time it’s whipped into the middle of the box. Aymeric Laporte is up there for the home side and he rises above his marker to win the header and guide it across goal and into the top corner! Great finish, City lead by two goals once again.
GOAL! Man City 4 - 3 Leicester (Iheanacho, 65’)⚽️
65 mins: What is happening here?! Leicester attack on the counter again with Maddison giving the ball to Lookman. He returns the pass as Maddison makes a run across the front edge of the box. He shoots and draws a leaping save out of Ederson who palms it onto the crossbar. The ball bounces out to Iheanacho who turns it into the back of the net!
Man City 4 - 2 Leicester
62 mins: Man City look to try an restore a two-goal cushion with Bernardo Silva driving the ball forwa down the left side. He swings a cross deep into the opposite side of the box where Mahrez brings the ball down and then chips an attempted pass straight into the side-netting.
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