Manchester City have moved six points clear at the top of the 2021-22 Premier League with a thrilling 6-3 victory over Leicester City on Boxing Day.
Pep Guardiola’s side appeared to be racing away to a comfortable victory when they ran out to a 4-0 lead after only 25 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring after just five minutes against a depleted Leicester side at the Etihad Stadium.
Riyad Mahrez doubled their lead from the penalty spot before Ilkay Gundogan tapped home from close range after Kasper Schmeichel could only palm Joao Cancelo’s cross into his path. If the points weren’t already secured, Raheem Sterling made it 4-0 with City’s second penalty of the first half.
Brendan Rodger’s side held on for the final 20 minutes of the first half and then showed their fighting spirit with three goals in a 10-minute haul in the second half.
A slip by Oleksandr Zinchenko allowed James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho to race clear and exchange passes for the former to score in an unguarded net. Iheanacho then put Ademola Lookman in the clear to make it 2-4, before the striker got on the scoresheet himself midway through the second half.
Any hopes of a remarkable comeback seemed extinguished five minutes later when Aymeric Laporte headed home from a Mahrez corner. The icing on the Christmas cake was complete when Sterling scored his second from the game three minutes from time.
With Liverpool’s Boxing Day game versus Leeds United being called off due to Covid reasons, Manchester City have opened up a 6-point lead over both the Reds and Chelsea, but with Jurgen Klopp’s side having a game in hand.
