Manchester City see off Leicester to edge closer to Champions League qualification
Manchester City 2 Leicester City 1: Riyad Mahrez's penalty was disallowed for a double kick
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Your support makes all the difference.A strange, scrappy end-of-season game will be remembered for one of the oddest penalty incidents ever seen in the Premier League.
Leicester were trailing 2-1 with 15 minutes to play when Riyad Mahrez stepped up to take a kick awarded for a trip on him by Gael Clichy.
Mahrez has an impressive record from the spot; an equaliser looked the likely outcome. As his kick sailed into the net past goalkeeper Willy Caballero, the visitors celebrated.
Prematurely, as it turned out. The Algerian winger, slipping as he took the penalty, had hit the ball with his left foot on to his right. The laws of the game do not allow a penalty taker to touch the ball again until another player has done so. Referee Robert Madley ruled out the goal.
Pep Guardiola was unsympathetic. “In golf it is the same,” he said. “It is the same rule.” Even so, on the weekend that they officially relinquished their Premier League title to Chelsea, Leicester could only curse their misfortune.
It was not their first bad luck of the afternoon, either. Craig Shakespeare’s side had a strong case for arguing that Manchester City’s opening goal should have been disallowed.
Shortly before the half-hour mark, Leroy Sane burst down the left to deliver a low ball into the middle, met by a David Silva mis-hit that bobbled into the net. Raheem Sterling, who looked to be standing in an offside position, swung a leg and missed the ball on its way in. Leicester’s argument that Sterling was interfering with play went unheeded by referee Madley.
“I felt Sterling made an effort for the ball but I wasn’t sure if he is in an offside position,” said Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare. “Having seen the replay, I can see he is in an offside position. It is a clear offside decision.
“A lot of more experienced managers than me have said about the importance of getting support for the referees in terms of video assistance. In terms of the real crucial decisions, that is one that has gone against us today.”
Those two strokes of luck went a long way to securing a City win that moves them a step closer to Champions League qualification. In truth, Guardiola’s side should not have needed those breaks. They looked set to win comfortably after Gabriel Jesus scored a penalty to add to Silva’s opener. The Brazilian striker converted coolly after Yohan Benalouane had sent Sane arcing into the air with a wild sliding challenge.
That City made such a meal of the game after that says much about the improvements Guardiola needs to wring at the Etihad Stadium this summer. The manager has indicated that he plans changes; whether next season’s squad will have room in it for Sergio Aguero is open to debate.
Aguero, City’s 31-goal leading scorer, was fit again after recovering from a groin injury, but played only for the final 12 minutes as a substitute, with Guardiola deciding to stick with the team who had defeated Crystal Palace 5-0 seven days earlier.
That was a stroll. This was not. Having fallen two goals behind, Leicester responded with an outstanding goal shortly before half-time. Mahrez played a ball wide to Marc Albrighton, who had all the time he wanted to deliver a cross, and swung a ball over for Okazaki to lean back and volley viciously into the top of the net.
The second half became an increasingly physical contest, after Albrighton was caught by Fernandinho’s trailing arm as they chased down the touchline for a loose ball. The Leicester winger was furious that the Brazilian escaped without punishment, and the tone of the match became increasingly sour after that.
Jesus was left flat out soon afterwards, having been bodychecked by Christian Fuchs as he ran towards goal, while Albrighton was substituted – perhaps for his own safety – immediately after getting revenge on Fernandinho with a clattering challenge.
Amid the increasingly fractious quality of the contest, Guardiola still found room for sentiment. Pablo Zabaleta, widely expected to leave City this summer after nine years at the club, was brought on as a substitute for the final nine minutes to wild applause. He did his bit to ensure City held on for the win. They just about deserve to be in next season’s Champions League, but they can do far, far better than this.
“In the second half, we didn’t know whether to attack or defend,” Guardiola admitted. “But if we get one more win, we are mathematically qualified for the Champions League, and then we can go to Watford and try to finish third. We are trying to finish the season well.”
Man City (4-1-4-1): Caballero; Fernandinho, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Toure; Sterling (Aguero 78), De Bruyne (Zabaleta 81), Silva, Sane; Jesus (Navas 90).
Substitutes: Gunn, Kolarov, Fernando, Nolito.
Leicester (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Benalouane, Fuchs, Chilwell; Mahrez, King (Amartey 68), Ndidi, Albrighton (Gray 80); Okazaki (Slimani 73), Vardy.
Substitutes: Zieler, Wasilewski, Musa, Kapustka.
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
Attendance: 54,407
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