Brendan Rodgers: “The players carried out the gameplan as well as we could have asked them to,” he tells BT Sport. “You have to still be in the game with 20 minutes to go. Defensively we were very, very good but we lacked belief at times and that let us down. We had good chances in the game and we were unfortunate not to nick something. You have to concede that you are playing arguably the best team in the world, they can play through you and around you.”
James Maddison: “We were pushing,” he tells BT Sport. “It’s one of those where, when you’re playing City, you have to take your medicine and just accept they’re going to have the ball for long periods. You just feel like you didn’t touch the ball for 10 minutes. That’s what it’s like against arguably the best team in the world but we were solid, we obviously felt compact, we went with the 5-4-1 shape and limited them to probably as little amount of chances as you can with City. The difference was a moment of brilliance from probably the best player in the Premier League.”
Pep Guardiola: “They changed it a little bit and it was a real difficult game, because their 10 players there so deep and it’s so difficult,” he tells BT Sport. “After that we scored the goal, we started really well the second half. The moment when they changed their rhythm, we struggled to adapt because we’d played a low rhythm all game.
“And in the Premier League the last few minutes are always difficult. It’s a massive victory for us. Kevin de Bruyne is back. He was not playing good the last few games but today he was amazing. He knows it. There was no space today, we had to be patient.”
Match report: Leicester City 0-1 Manchester City
Premier League: “Manchester City may have been without Erling Haaland but Pep Guardiola’s side are so awash with talent that it just meant another of their stars came to the fore,” writes Ben Fisher from the King Power Stadium.
How things stand: Manchester City go top of the table, a point ahead of Arsenal who play their game in hand against Nottingham Forest tomorrow. Leicester remain fourth from bottom, two points outside the relegation zone but can take great heart from an excellent defensive performance today. They have conceded just one goal, a free-kick nobody could have kept out, in their past four matches.
Kevin De Bruyne on his free-kick: It goes perfectly in, y’know,” he says. “There was a lot of risk on the ball and today it went perfectly and luckily it’s a 1-0.”
Kevin De Bruyne on the game: “I think we made it a little bit difficult for ourselves,” he tells BT Sport. “I think we were a little bit tired with all the games that came up. I think they were very negative and very defensive for 70 minutes and then we knew with the changes it was going to be a very different game. We have to try to keep it in their half and we didn’t do that. I think we still could have scored a second one but they had a couple of moments, more from our doing I would say. In the end it was a good victory.”
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Full time: Leicester City 0-1 Manchester City
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over at the King Power Stadium, where Manchester City have won courtesy of a splendid Kevin De Bruyne free-kick struck shortly after the break. It was a valiant attempt by Leicester, who spent much of the game on the back foot but came within a lick of paint of scoring an equaliser when Ederson kept out a wonderful volley from Youri Tielemans.
90+1 min: A Tielemans cross from deep is headed off the shoulders of Ruben Dias by John Stones and goes out for a corner. The ball comes in, De Bruyne gallops upfield on the counter and curls an inviting cross to the far post for Gundogan, who stretches every sinew but can’t connect.
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89 min: As things stand, Leicester look set to lose to an outstanding, unstoppable shot from a free-kick that they really shouldn’t have given away. Otherwise, their game plan has been carried out to near perfection. If they hang on, Manchester City will go top of the table by a point for a day at least.
88 min: Maddison wins the ball from Aymeric Laporte and plays it to Kelechi Iheanacho, who cuts inside a couple of defenders before sending an extremely feeble low shot straight at Ederson.
86 min: Iheanacho sends a cross into the Manchester City penalty area, the flight of the ball deceives Ruben Dias and Patson Daka skims a header straight into the arms of Ederson.
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84 min: With six minutes to go, Manchester City could really do with scoring a second goal to put the game beyond hosts who have looked increasingly dangerous since Brendan Rodgers rang the changes.
82 min: Leicester win a free-kick wide on the right, in line with the edge of the Manchester City penalty area. James Maddison stands over the ball, waiting to send in the cross. His whipped delivery to the near post goes high over the bar off the shoulder of Timothy Castagne.
80 min: Danny Ward hares off his line to unceremoniously welly a Kevin De Bruyne through ball as far down the pitch as he can before Phil Foden can latch on to it.
79 min: There’s a break in play as Youri Tielemans receives treatment for a nosebleed after an aerial challenge with Kevin De Bruyne. The two Belgian internationals are really getting stuck into each other and it’s the Manchester City man who is coming out on top.
77 min: Patson Daka curls a snap-shot wide of the upright after latching on to a good through ball from Maddison. Manchester City substitution: Phil Foden on for Julian Alvarez.
75 min: Leicester win a free-kick wide on the right for a high boot from Ruben Dias. Maddison’s inswinger is cleared as a cry of “handball!” goes up from the crowd behind the goal. Robert Jones puts his fingers to his ear but his Video Assistant Ref Chris Kavanagh says there was no foul.
74 min: Tielemans commits a technical foul of his own, diving in to bring down Jack Grealish to prevent the Manchester City winger galloping upfield from the centre-circle. He’s lucky to avoid a yellow card as he made no effort to win the ball.
73 min: Leic ester switch to a back four and Daka and Iheanacho immediately link up to try to get in behind the Manchester City defence.
72 min: Manchester City substitution: Ruben Dias on for Manuel Ikanji.
71 min: Leicester double-substitution: Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho on for Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy, who through no fault of his own, has barely had a touch of the ball.
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70 min: City continue trying to pass Leicester into submission, the home players chasing shadows around the sun-dappled pitch.
68 min: Soyuncu sends a long diagonal ball forward trying to pick out a run in behind from Maddison. The pass is slightly overhit and Ederson is quick off his line to avert the danger.
65 min: Kevin De Bruyne gets a talking-to from referee Robert Jones after chopping down his compatriot Youri Tielemans as the midfielder tried to canter upfield on a counter-attack. That’s a textbook “technical foul” straight out of Pep’s Big Book O’Tactics.
62 min: City continue to dominate possession with the onus now firmly on Leicester to come at them and try to rescue a point. It’s not looking likely at the moment but as long as there’s only a kick of the ball between the sides the champions cannot afford any complacency.
60 min: This hasn’t been the most entertaining of games but the crowd at the King Power Stadium have been treated to a few sublime pieces of skill just a couple of minutes apart. De Bruyne’s free-kick, Tielemans’ volley from Maddison’s inch-perfect corner and the Ederson save that denied Leicester were all outstanding.
59 min: Kevin De Bruyne sends a cross from the right into the Leicester penalty area. Danny Ward deals with it comfortably.
55 min: Tielemans has scored quite a few beauties in his time, most recently against Wolves in midweek. If that effort just now had gone in, it would have been right up there with the very best of them.
52 min: Chance! At a Leicester corner, Youri Tielemans spanks a tremendous volley towards the Manchester City goal from the edge of the penalty area. His technique is perfect and Ederson gets a hand on the ball to steer it on to the cross-bar. What a shot! And what a delivery from James Maddison!
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51 min: So, an inspired substitution from Brendan Rodgers, who I’m guessing didn’t send out Papy Mendy to needlessly bring down Jack Grealish a couple of yards outside the Leicester penalty area with his first action of the game. It was a costly error of judgement from the French born Senegal international.
GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Manchester City (De Bruyne 49)
That is ridiculous! Kevin De Bruyne scores with a terrific free-kick, sending the ball up over the ball with the inside of his right foot, before watching in admiration as it dips and goes in off the left upright.
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48 min: Mendy fouls Grealish outside the Leicester penalty area and Manchester City have a free-kick in a very dangerous position. Over to you, Kevin …
47 min: Leicester substitution at half-time: Nampalys “Papy” Mendy on for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Second half: Leicester City 0-0 Manchester City
46 min: Leicester get the second half started and almost immediately, Manchester City go on the attack. Bernardo Silva tees up Rodri with a pull-back from the byline and he sends a low drive wide. A better pass from De Bruyne towards Silva in the build-up moight also have yielded a goal.
Half-time: Leicester City 0-0 Manchester City
Peep! It remains scoreless as referee Robert Jones blows for the break and is immediately confronted by Jack Grealish, who still has a bee in his bonnet about the corner he was denied a few minutes ago.
Jones tells him to wind his neck in (not in so many words, I’m guessing) and might also have been minded to tell Jack that his team did the sum total of bugger all with the nine corners they were awarded in that first half.
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45+1 min: Alvarez’s cross from the right skims wide off the big hair of Leicester defender Wout Faes. That could have gone anywhere – I’m not sure the Belgian knew too much about it. Once again, Leicester defend the set-piece stoutly.
45 min: Maddison puts the ball out of play and this time the corner is given. The subsequent inswinger is confidently claimed by Danny Ward.
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44 min: Grealish takes on Tielemans down the left wing, the ball goes out off the Leicester captain for a corner and the referee awards a goal-kick.
41 min: As we approach half-time, one suspects both managers will be happy enough with the performances of their respective teams. Despite their almost total domination, Manchester City have only forced Leicester goalkeeper into a couple of saves, while Brendan Rodgers will be happy with the concentration and discipline of his team as they strive to keep their visitors out.
40 min: Grealish and De Bruyne link up down the left but the Belgian’s attempted cross is put out for another corner by Daniel Amartey. De Bruyne’s delivery is a little too high for its intended target, Manuel Akanji and the ball goes out for a Leicester throw-in.
38 min: James Justin is bleeding from a cut a couple of centimetres under his right eye but it doesn’t look anything too serious.
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37 min: A vital touch from James Justin prevents Silva getting on the end of a sdink into the Leicester penalty area. From the ensuing corner, Aymeric Laporte heads feebly downwards and wide.
36 min: Harvey Barnes is played up the left touchline and cuts inside Akanji but his cross towards Jamie Vardy is diabolically bad. Leicester need to make far better use of the precious little possession they are getting.
34 min: Manchester City appeal for a penalty after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sticks the boot in to prevent Jack Grealish getting a cross or shot away from a very tight angle near the left upright. He got the ball and no spot-kick is forthcoming but it was quite a risky and arguably unnecessary challenge. City have to settle for a corner from which nothing comes.
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32 min: Grealish tries to tee up Cancelo, who is crowded off the ball. It finds its way to Manuel Akanji, whose shot is charged down. This Leicester defending could scarcely be more dogged.
30 min: Leicester break upfield on the counter after Rodri had given the ball away outside their penalty area. Harvey Barnes scurries up the inside left into the Manchester City penalty area but runs into traffic. Ederson tidies up at the back.
29 min: Leicester get forward again with James Maddison on the ball. He tries to play it towards Vardy, when perhaps a pass to Harvey Barnes was the better option. City clear.
27 min: Another shot from De Bruyne, who slips while pulling the trigger. His rising effort from the edge of the penalty area is straight at Danny Ward, who deals with it comfortably.
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25 min: Manchester City launch a counter-attack up the left. Grealish cuts inside and squares the ball for De Bruyne, whose shot from outside the area is blocked.
24 min: Leicester finally go on an attack which ends with Harvey Barnes bringing a smart save out of Ederson at his near post. The hosts win a corner, which is headed clear by Rodri.
22 min: Another Cancelo cross into the Leicester penalty area is blockjed after he and Grealish link up down the left again. Cancelo is playing increadibly far forward considering he’s a left-back. Grealish is often behind him.
21 min: Joao Cancelo sends another cross into the Leicester penalty area and it’s cleared.
20 min: Ederson gets his first touch, playing a short pass as City embark on another sortie upfield.
18 min: Playing up front for Leicester, Jamie Vardy gets his first touch of the ball with almost 20 minutes gone. That’s how dominant Manchester City have been but the deadlock remains unbroken.
17 min: After a dodgy start to the season playing behind a very shaky defence, Danny Ward is starting to show his qualities. He rides to the rescue again, saving a low drive from Bernardo Silva with his legs. A tip of the hat to Kevin De Bruyne, who teed up Silva with an acrobatic assist as he prevented the ball from going out of play.
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16 min: De Bruyne plays Alvarez in behind and the Argentinian shoots from a tight angle. Danny Ward parries his shot and the flag goes up for offside. Replays suggest Alvarez was onside but it doesn’t matter. Good goalkeeping by Ward.
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14 min: Nothing comes of the latest corner but Manchester City continue to dominate with extreme prejudice. Julian Alvarez runs on to a ball down the flank from deep but it sails out of play for a goal-kick.
13 min: Danny Ward palms a Rodri header out for a corner. The Spanish midfielder got on the end of a De Bruyne cross and his looping effort looked like it might drop under the cross-bar.
12 min: Leicester remain camped inside their own half, the faces of their players a collective study in fierce concentration.
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11 min: City win a corner. Kevin De Bruyne’s delivery is cleared courtesy of a meaty Youri Tielemans header.
10 min: Leicester play out from the back, threading the ball through the eyes of several needles until Timothy Castagne overhits a pass and gives it away near the halway line.
9 min: Caglar Soyuncu puts the ball out for a throw-in on this, his first start for Leicester since May. He was linked with a move away from the club during the transfer window but it never materialised.
7 min: Aymeric Laporte spreads the ball wide to Jack Grealish on the left touchline. He links up with Cancelo as Manchester CIty continue to tenaciously press and probe.
6 min: Lots of patient build-up play from Manchester City but no chances of note to report in these early stages. Leicester are keeping their shape and defending well.
5 min: Playing high up the pitch, Joao Cancelo tries to send a cross into the Leicester penalty are but his delivery is blocked.
4 min: John Stones shepherds the ball out of play under pressure from James Justin, who claims a corner but doesn’t get one.
2 min: Rodri dinks the ball over the top from the edge of the Leicetser City penalty area but the two City players ahead of him are both in offside positions and make no attempt to play the ball, which bounces wide.
Leicester City v Manchester City is go ...
1 min: City get the ball rolling, their players wearing yellow and black striped shirts, black shorts and yellow socks. Their hosts are in their usual home kit of blue shirts, shorts and socks. As expected, they line up with a back five.
Key event
It’s that time of year again: There are poppy mosaics in the stands and both managers leave wreaths in the centre-circle and there’s a rendition of The Last Post, in memory of the fallen, what with this being Leicester’s final home game before Remembrance Day on 11 November.
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Not long now: Youri Tielemans and Ilkay Gundogan lead out the sides and both sets of players line up either side of referee Robert Jones and his match officials. The last of the pre-match formalities are well under way.
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Those teams: There are two changes to the Leicester line-up, with Jamie Vardy and Caglar Soyuncu making rare starts. The Turkish defender comes in to the centre of a back five, while Vardy starts up front instead of Patson Daka, who drops to the bench.
Pep Guardiola makes six changes to the side that drew with Dortmund in midweek. Ederson returns in goal, while Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji and Aymeric Laporte also come into the side. Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Stefan, Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias drop to the bench, while Haaland is absent from the squad with injury.
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Leicester City v Manchester City line-ups
Leicester City: Ward, Justin, Amartey, Faes, Soyuncu, Castagne, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Barnes, Maddison, Vardy
Subs: Iversen, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Perez, Daka, Mendy, Ndidi, Praet, Thomas
Manchester City: Ederson, Cancelo, Stones, Laporte, Akanji, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, Grealish, Alvarez, Silva
Subs: Stefan, Carson, Dias, Ake, Gomez, Mahrez, Foden, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand
Set for the Citizens 📝 ✊#LEIMCI pic.twitter.com/24VNBqMaBn
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 29, 2022
🔵 TEAM NEWS 🔵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 29, 2022
XI | Ederson, Stones, Akanji, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Alvarez, Grealish
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Dias, Ake, Gomez, Mahrez, Foden, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/gYJUIL7Y9V
No Haaland in City's starting XI
This just in: The big Norwegian goal machine does not start for Manchester City and is also absent from the matchday squad. Julian Alvarez starts in his place and is one of four changes to the City side. Jamie Vardy starts for Leicester City.
Today’s match officials
Referee: Robert Jones
Assistants: Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh
Fourth official: Graham Scott
VAR: Chris Kavanagh
Early team news
Wilfred Ndidi has been spotted back on the Leicester training pitches after missing almost the entire month with a hamstring injury. The Nigerian defensive midfielder will not feature today but Leicester fans will be heartened by his return to full fitness. Ricardo Pereira and Ryan Bertrand remain sidelined for Leicester, but Jonny Evans could feature. The central defender has been struggling with a calf injury but was due to be assessed ahead of the game.
Erling Haaland was also due to be assessed yesterday after being withdrawn at half-time during Manchester City’s midweek scoreless draw with Borussia Dortmund. Haaland appeared to suffer a foot injury when tackled by Emre Can and was also reported to be suffering from a fever.
City goalkeeper Ederson is due to return after missing the Dortmund game but Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker remain out as they recover from surgery but both players remain hopeful of being available for World Cup selection. “They are optimistic,” said Pep Guardiola. “They are in touch with Gareth [Southgate]. Hopefully they can be ready and get selected.”
Leicester City v Manchester City
Premier League: It’s a tale of two Citys at the King Power Stadium this afternoon, with Leicester hosting the reigning champions in the first of the weekend’s 10 top flight matches. After a dreadful start to the season, the hosts are finally showing signs of life and go into this extremely stern test of their mettle on the back of two wins and their third consecutive clean sheet. In a demonstration of remarkable efficiency in front of goal, they have scored an impressive six goals in their past two games from just five shots on target.
By their own extremely high standards, City are in a comparative slump, having won just one of their past four domestically and in Europe, failing to score in three of those games. It’s almost certainly a minor blip and they remain second in the table, two points behind Arsenal and already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages. Kick-off at the King Power is at 12.30pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
