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Former Premier League champions Manchester City were demolished by Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City by a scoreline of 5-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola was once again without a host of high-profile names in his squad due to injuries and unavailability amidst the COVID-19 crisis. City were without Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Ilkay Gundogan, Aymeric Laporte, and several other talented superstars on the afternoon.
However, Leicester City also faced their fair share of injuries and were forced to name a line up without James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi, Ricardo Pereira, and several others, including new signing Cengiz Under.
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City took a third-minute lead with a stunning goal from Riyad Mahrez, who found the top corner to perfection with his weaker foot through a crowded box. After a sustained period of dominance, the visitors fought their way into the game with a penalty from Jamie Vardy after Kyle Walker clipped him in the box.
The second half was of a stunningly different complexion altogether as Leicester City's razor-sharp counterattacks ripped Guardiola's side to shreds. A swift move early in the second half saw Vardy double the visitors' lead with an excellently-executed backheel finish.
Just minutes later, he would go on to complete his hat-trick with a second penalty after Eric Garcia brought the veteran striker down.
With 13 minutes left to play, James Maddison came off the bench to score one of the most incredible goals this campaign to pile further misery onto Guardiola's men.
While Nathan Ake's late consolation goal briefly gave City some hope of a potential comeback, the hosts' hopes were demolished even further after Benjamin Mendy brought down Maddison. Youri Tielemans made no mistake from the spot and scored Leicester's fifth of the game, giving them one of the most iconic wins in the Premier League's recent history.
Here, we take a look at the major talking points from the game.
Also check out: Complete EPL Fixtures 2020/21
#5 Strength in depth for both sides
Despite the narrative of both clubs' lengthy list of absentees on the afternoon, the Premier League faithful were treated to a delightful contest at the Etihad. Much of this was to do with the quality of players on display on the pitch, which goes on to highlight the quality available to both sides.
Guardiola was able to field an XI against Leicester that, despite the absence of a host of big names, cost nearly £500m, and included the likes of Rodri, Sterling, De Bruyne, and other influential names. The fact that the Catalan does not have up to six other first-team players makes the strength of his squad a terrifying one.
As for Leicester, although the names aren't nearly as high-profile as City's, he was able to call upon creator-in-chief Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho, and had the likes of Premier League winners Marc Albrighton and Christian Fuchs on the bench. Rodgers also had Ayoze Perez to call upon, and is set to be bolstered by the returns of Ndidi, Pereira, Under, and other noteworthy names as the season goes on.
With European football there to be played for both clubs, albeit at different levels, they look well-equipped to compete on various fronts.
#4 Penalty Premier League?
Manchester City's thrilling clash with Leicester kept up with the ongoing trend of the number of penalties being awarded in the league. Eric Garcia, Kyle Walker, and Benjamin Mendy were the culprits on this occasion as they conceded three penalties, making City the first team in the Premier League to concede as many in seven years.
The Etihad encounter was the 25th fixture of the Premier League campaign, and Tielemans' penalty was the 21st spot-kick to have been awarded — a stunning number in comparison to the state of play last season. Leicester City became the first team in the Premier League to score three penalties in 90 minutes in the process.
While there have been many shocking calls been made so far, including the one right before this game kicked off — Eric Dier's alleged handball against Newcastle United — it is worth noting that none of the three in this game were as controversial. If anything, goes on to highlight the carelessness and naivety of the City defence.
Also check out: Updated EPL Table 2020/21
#3 Counter-attacking Leicester City a force to be reckoned with
Leicester City had a flying start in 2019/20 and looked nailed on to finish in the top three, let alone the top four, for a majority of the campaign. They rarely fell out of the top three spots from November all the way until the post-lockdown period. However, Leicester's European ambitions fell through after a poor string of results, which culminated with a home defeat to Manchester United on the final day.
This year, they began the new campaign as undisputedly the most in-form team in the league after three emphatic victories. The Foxes have scored a staggering 12 goals in three games, conceding just four in the process, as they look to break into the top four for only the second time since their promotion.
Their counterattacking gameplan was suited perfectly to Manchester City's approach, and they looked lethal in transitions, leaving no hope for the hosts. The Foxes showed that there was a method to their madness and were ruthless after turnovers anywhere on the pitch.
With smart additions in the market, different profiles of players to choose from for different opposition and an impressive squad, Rodgers's men look like they are a force to be reckoned with once again this year.
#2 Manchester City's defensive woes continue
For the large part, Manchester City's defensive record last year appeared to be somewhat of a false image. On paper according to the league table, they boasted the second-best defensive record in the Premier League (conceded 35 in 38 games) only behind champions Liverpool. However, there is more to what meets the eye.
The Cityzens' defence has crumbled time and again last year as they cost them wins, such as their outings against Wolves, Norwich City, and other games during which their defence capitulated, much like they did today.
Manchester City were in talks to sign €70m-rated Kalidou Koulibaly, the man tipped to be the solution to their defensive problems. However, they are yet to make a marquee defensive signing, with Ruben Dias being another name linked with a move.
Despite this, the defence that started the game costed a total that is just shy of £150m, and will be remembered as the first-ever Guardiola backline that conceded five goals in a league game. The personnel can only be faulted to an extent, and there is a feeling that the players aren't the only reason for their shambolic defensive record.
#1 Jamie Vardy's having a party
This chant was made famous during Leicester City's famous title win under Claudio Ranieri when their talismanic leader Jamie Vardy was simply unstoppable. Fast forward five years and Vardy, who turns 34 come January, is still as deadly as ever in the box and was the chief tormentor for Guardiola's City on the occasion. He became the only man to score two hat-tricks against the Catalans' side, with Leo Messi being the only other player to have even one of them.
The Englishman was ruthless with his finishing, effortlessly converting two spot-kicks either side of half-time and pulling off a sublime piece of skill for his second goal after Timothy Castagne's arrowed ball into the box.
Vardy's second penalty was the 18th spot-kick he won in the Premier League, which is just one shy of the all-time record currently held by Raheem Sterling. The 33-year-old is now the joint-highest scorer in this year's Premier League campaign along with compatriot Dominic Calvert-Lewin and has scored five goals with five shots on target.
Vardy will be crucial for Leicester's top-four push and in their hunt for a first European trophy this year. Going by today's evidence, the Premier League winner is raring to rise to the occasion. Jamie Vardy really is having a party.
Also read: 5 Most valuable defensive midfielders in the world
