Jamie Jackson’s report is up and as he says, “Manchester did what they desired” but it wasn’t as straight forward as that (despite the straight forward nature of the win).
Confused? Well, have a read of the report and see what I mean.
With that I’ll sign off. Thanks everyone for joining me. And for setting me straight in the difference between volleys, half volleys and, as one reader offered, the ‘Martin Luther King’ shots.
Cheers. See you soon.
Yash Gupta sees my claims of one-sidedness and lays down a counter argument:
“One sided you say, definitely you missed 90% of first half performances by Spurs. As for remaining 10%, you need to watch second half in those matches.”
Get a load of this. Leicester’s xG was higher than City’s! They also had only four less touches in the attacking box than City.
Can I nominate this as the most nervy one-sided game of all time?
What is a volley? Steve Wilson has directed me to the Guardian’s own take by Rob Smyth.
John Cartmell from Oregon where he coaches kids play “soccer” says that even his youngsters know the difference between a volley and a half-volley. Meeow!
William Barclay is on team “half-volley” though says he “half” agrees with me. I’ll take that.
Alun Williams is sympathetic and says that “Rugby complicates it further, I think: a drop goal has to be the half-volley (I think).”
This from Shane OLeary feels as definitive as anything I’ve received:
“A ‘volley’ is when the object, be it a Bee, a ball or a falling crumpet, is struck before it touches the ground.
Once the object has rebounded (bounced) from the ground on the first occasion the subsequent strike is known as a ‘Half Volley’.
After the object has rebounded twice, or more it is known as a ‘shot’.
Hope that helps.”
Certainly does, Shane. Thanks to everyone else as well.
“I’ve heard of ‘new manager bounce’ but predictably, Haaland and his fellow humanoid footballers have instead ensured that the new manager is bounced. Hard.”
And with a loud THUNK, eh, Peter Oh?
Full-Time: Manchester City 3-1 Leicester
That was one-sided. But it was also a nervy finish as Leicester hit the post, had a penalty shout turned down and saw Ederson save twice from close range.
Still, a first half blitz with Haaland scoring twice after Stones swept home a bouncing ball meant the champions could cruise for the rest of the game in second gear.
City now within three points of Arsenal who just happen to be their next Premier League opponents. Leicester now in even more trouble as they remain 19th.
Reaction to come.
90+2 min: Haaland named player of the match (again).
90+1 min: Iheanacho has hit the post! Maddison’s ball from the right is outrageous. He finds Iheanacho through a crowd and the striker takes a first time shot that is struck well along the ground and pings back off the far post. How unlucky!
90 min: Three minutes of added time to come..
YELLOW! Leicester City (Soyuncu, 89)
That is a tackle made by a frustrated player. High knee on Alvarez and that’s a clear booking.
86 min: Ndidi is off for Daka but that’s not the talking point. Maddison ought to have made Ederson work harder than that. And when you factor in the golden opportunity for Praet earlier, this could have gone pear shaped for City.
85 min: OH! Big chance! Could be 3-2 as a mistake from City allows Maddison to run through on goal. He delays before shooting, perhaps conscious that he had support in the box. Instead he scuffs the shot and Ederson saves with his foot. Corner and that also provides a goal scoring opportunity. A header Soyuncu is blocked.
84 min: Leicester go route one in search of Maddison. It’s easily dealt with by City. Hard to offer advice from here but I don’t think that’ll work.
82 min: Bernardo Silva has taken control of things these past few minutes. Simple passes and pulling players into position. A ball over the top to Walker on the overlap down the right can’t find his run. Leicester then go up the field and win a throw in. Eight minutes to go before the full 90. Can Leicester nick another?
81 min: Suddenly City are passing with the same urgency that they displayed in the first half. That Leicester goal has spooked them into life.
79 min: Leicester are really make a game of this. Iheanacho dribbles and shoots. It’s high over the bar but he did really well to wriggle the space for himself after collecting a fizzing forward pass.
78 min: The cameras cut to an irate Pep. He won’t be happy with the way his team has switched off. Tell you what, one more goal for Leicester and we could have a grandstand finish.
77 min: Leicester are giving it a go. Iheanacho lets fly from an outrageous distance. He’s offside but that shows his gumption.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 Leicester City (Iheanacho, 75)
A tap in for the substitute after Souttar’s header is saved by Edersen but rebounded to the Nigerian. Let’s not call it a comeback just yet, but that’s something for the Foxes to cling to.
Updated
73 min: No goal for Grealish as he applauds the fans and makes his way off the field for Sergio Gomez. Well played Jack.
71 min: Should be 3-1. Praet has a free shot inside the City box and simply taps it rather than hammer what looked like a gimme,. Brilliant break down the right that ended in a cut back inside the box. What a waste of their best chance.
70 min: 20 minutes left in what is becoming an increasingly boring spectacle. I don’t blame the players. City have no obligation to hurl themselves and risk injury for another goal and Leicester just aren’t good enough to do anything about this. Credit to the crowd who are doing the Poznan.
Hello Daniel,
A short comment from sunny Brussels: here, and in amateur football, a volley like the one you describe is called a Martin Luther King.
As in “I had a dream ….”
No notes, Juan Arcas. From here on, I’ll describe shots from balls that have already bounced but are most definitely not half-volleys in this manner.
Though before I do, I have to ask how you stumbled on that name?
Updated
68 min: Walker wins a corner. He’s been sharp but that lack of penetration might hurt his chances of starting important games for the rest of the season. Grealish has a shot blocked from Souttar.
66 min: More of the same but to their credit City are still pressing hard and fast without the ball. They steal the ball back inside Leicester’s half and build again. Palmer taking up a central position in midfield. He looks confident on the ball. To be fair, I could probably play in midfield for City today.
(I said probably)
“You keep saying city are in an exhibition match, but is that easier than a pre season against non leaguers? What about an end of season dead rubber? I mean you’d think a testimonial would be easiest but I’ve seen some obscene efforts in them.
We need a ratings system. Lead the charge.”
I love this from Mark Lepine. I don’t quite know. Surely a dead rubber is more competitive? Any help?
63 min: They’re all lining up to shoot now. Grealish can’t quite work the space inside the D so recycles it instead. What’s more pedestrian than an exhibition match?
61 min: That’s the end of Du Bruyne’s afternoon. Youngster Cole Palmer enters the scene.
Leicester also make a change with both Tielemans and Dewsbury-Hall making way for Nampalys Mendy and Dennis Praet.
60 min: A short corner to Grealish is swiflty shifted to Mahrez who runs onto the ball and shoots first time with his left from outside the area. It’s curling into the top corner but Iversen does well to tip it over the bar.
“Agreed about volleys, but isn’t a half-volley when the ball’s struck just as it bounces (similar to a drop out or drop goal in rugby)?”
100% Geoff Wignall. Which is why it needs another name.
“Hello Daniel,”
Hi Geoff Wignall
“Sounds like the archetypal City performance today: including having 75% possession yet still managing to commit 75% of the fouls. It’s always been a real characteristic of a Guardiola team.”
Great shout. And you’re right. It’s that tenacity off the ball that deserves just as much credit for the magic they produce with it.
57 min: Grealish is having a great game. Here he weaves through four defenders covering 20m before he’s fouled. He might have released the ball sooner though as there was an overlap forming down the right. Still. It’s a City free kick. Too far out to shoot. Too straight to dink into the box. Decisions for De Bruyne.
56 min: Now that was a volley. The corner is floated to Grealish outside the box and he coils his body and unfurls a volley (met on the full) but is skews off his shin and goes out for a goal kick.
Updated
55 min: Ederson is the best goalkeeper with his feet. Surely I won’t get dragged for that? Just watch this pass he’s played to Mahrez. Sublime. Walker down the right wins a corner as he attacks the byline.
I’m copping a lot of stick for my volley views. Most of you are pointing out that anything that bounces can’t be a volley and immediately becomes a half-volley.
I’ll post them all but just to say, fair play, you’ve convinced me.
52 min: Rodri off to a standing ovation. Kalvin Phillips on. Crucial game time for him.
50 min: What happens now. Is it just a training session? Maybe. But if Leicester can stay level this half or even win the 45 minutes they’ll take great confidence from that. They’ll need the ball first. Which is proving hard to get as City continue to hog it.
48 min: Iheanacho is through on goal. except he’s offside. And tackled before he can shoot. Still, a moment of rare excitement for the visiting fans.
“Completely agree with you about the advertising boards – with the additional point that they look really stupid with the little heads of the stewards poking up between the boards. The first time I saw that, I was laughing at the malfunction, until I realised that those were people, not messed-up lights.”
I hadn’t noticed that before, Richard Broaddus, but now that I have, I won’t be able to unsee it!
47 min: Despite the changes a familiar patter to the start of this second half. City on the attack. leicester defending. Du Bruyne almost wriggles through two players in the box. Almost.
45 min: A few changes at half time including both of City’s goal scorers. Julian Alavarez and Manuel Akanji will get 45 minutes each.
For Leicester, Kirstiansen and Vardy have got the hook for Kelechi Iheanacho and Luke Thomas.
“If you’ve not seen a more one-sided game then you didn’t catch Chelsea-Brighton this afternoon. A new low for Frank Lampard’s Blues - and I say that as a lifelong Chelsea fan. Absolutely dire.”
I’ve only just seen the result, Jon Rogers. What on earth is happening with your club?
“Dear Daniel
(Adjusts NHS glasses and pulls hood up on Lord Anthony parka).
Great MBM - one point to raise however - technically Stone’s goal wasn’t a volley since it bounced before he hit it. A wonderful airborne strike nonetheless.”
Ah, Neil McKenna, now you’ve done it. I’ll stand by this, even though I’m well aware I’m in the minority (or entirely on my own). Surely anything that isn’t on the ground or bobbling is deemed a volley? I’m thinking Jamie Vardy’s stunner against Liverpool.
However, if enough people tell me I’m wrong I’d be happy to reconsider. But, if you do think I’m wrong, please can we come up with a better name for this sort of strike than ‘first time’? Because it deserves a more grandiose and distinguished moniker.
“Jack is having a great game!”
No doubt, Nora Mulcahy. When he’s allowed space to run with the ball and dart about between the lines he’s as good as anyone in this league.
Half-Time: Manchester City 3-0 Leicester
At the risk of repeating myself, I’m struggling to recall a more one sided Premier League game. Maybe I’m being daft and this is simply just the way things go when City play a team languishing near the foot of the table, but it’s been a glamorised training session for the champions. Two goals for Haaland, one assist for De Bruyne. More than two thirds possession. Welcome back Dean Smith!
Back in a few.
YELLOW! Manchester City (Bernardo Silva, 45+1)
Not getting away with that. Silva clips Maddison from behind and is the first name in England’s naughty book.
45 min: Haaland shows he’s no one trick pony and plays a beautiful lay-off for his midfield.
43 min: Walker is having a decent game on the right. Looking positive on the front foot. Glad for him. Always thought he was slightly underrated.
41 min: Du Bruyne shoots towards a different area code. That would have been outrageous. It’s not exactly like Essien’s screamer against Arsenal, but would have been similar as he ran onto a bouncing ball and tried to pelt it with the outside of his right boot in order to bring it back from left to right.
Updated
40 min: Every time Rodri has the ball the crowd urges him to shoot. After his stunner against Bayern in the week I’m surprised he hasn’t had another pop at goal.
39 min: A chance for Faes who couldn’t keep his volley down. Nice routine that. Maddison from the free kick swings it to the back post. It’s knocked back where it came from and Faes is on hand to shoot.
38 min: Some respite now for Leicester as Walker cynically shoves Dewsbury-Hall in the back. Lucky to escape punishment I feel. A chance for Moddison to swing in a ball.
37 min: Jiggery pokery from Grealish who is evidently having a great time. He’s combining well with De Bruyne. Again, the cross is blocked. But again it’s starting to feel like another goal is incoming.
36 min: Grealish gets to the byline but can’t cut it back beyond Iversen who gets both gloves on the ball.
35 min: Maddison has a bit of space on the edge of the City box. He shifts the ball to his right foot and fires a shot that’s blocked. Good on Leicester. I don’t mean that to sound patronising. I know they’re professionals, but it must require some mental strength to keep fighting here.
34 min: Stones puffs his chest out and sprays a lovely diagonal to Grealish. Tyler on comms says this is starting to feel like an exhibition match. More like a training ground exercise.
31 min: Silva’s pass to Grealish is a good one and the England star with gigantic calves takes a good first touch on the edge of the box with his right foot as he looks to wrong foot Soyuncu. But the Fox at the back stands strong and makes a good tackle.
31 min: Kirstiansen and Drewsbury-Hall combine down Leicester’s left. That was coherent at least. it didn’t go anywhere but it ends with a Leicester throw and they get a rare chance to move the ball about. But Laporte steals it back and now De Bruyne is tying Leicester’s defenders in knots at the other end.
29 min: A slick move finds the space for Graelish who swiftly moves it on to Mahrez. He shapes to shoot on his left foot, at least that’s what I thought he’d do, but instead keeps it moving down the line to Walker. The right back tries to find Haaland in the middle but it’s cleared. So slick. So precise. What can Leicester do from here?
28 min: I can’t think of a more one sided half hour of football all season. Leicester have barely had a kick of the ball. They’ve been blown away. And not just when City have had the ball. They’re just as committed and ruthless without it.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 Leicester (Haaland, 25)
Just as I said, it’s another for who know who. City nip it from Leicester with De Bruyne picking Ndidi’s pocket. He then drives forwards and slips in a perfectly timed ball for Haaland who doesn’t have to break stride before lifting it into the net over a scrambling Iversen. That’s 47 goals for the season for Haaland and 100 City assists for the best midfielder in the world.
Updated
24 min: City ping it about with at such a rate it’s hard to even keep track sitting on my couch. Left to right, forwards and then back. A speculative looping cross into the box tries to find Haaland but it doesn’t meet him. Still, they’re stretching Leicester with such ease that a third is surely coming.
22 min: It’s been said before, but I really hate the gigantic advertising boards at the Etihad. We know that money makes the ball go round, but this just feels over the top.
21 min: Leicester have a shot at goal. It’s blocked, but that was encouraging. A break down the left was sent back into a dangerous area where Vardy takes a touch and lays it off for Dewsbury-Hall. It was a pretty tame effort but a deflection might have taken it past a diving Ederson.
19 mins: Mahrez is chopped down by Tielemans snuffing out that move. De Bruyne plays another poor pass, his second in a row!
18 min: It’s a rare error from the Belgian as his delivery is too shallow. Leicester get across the halfway line but two City players swarm Vardy and steal it from him. Back they go.
17 min: Silva’s deep cross from the left is met by Walker who volleys first time back in the mixer. Nothing doing. Incredible that City are still finding so much width despite the back five from Leicester. They now have a free kick on the right with De Bruyne over it.
“Yes, well, aye - fair enough,” says Charles Antaki (which is a brilliant way to start an email, by the way).
“Man City again on their way to thrashing some poor set of beggars in the manner of the Harlem Globetrotters plus some stooges. Arsenal fans were more or less expecting this, though trying not to think about it very much. Pressure on the West Ham game now up to stratospheric levels (actually, that doesn’t really work, if I remember my school level physics. Down to Mariana trench levels?).”
Pressure can go up as well as down, I’d say.
PENALTY! Manchester City 2-0 Leicester City (Haaland, 13)
Goal number 46 for the towering Norwegian. He didn’t strike it cleanly but it’s off the bottom of the post and just out of Iversen’s reach and that, after less than 15 minutes, is probably that as far as the contest is concerned.
Updated
Penalty for City! No doubt about it. Grealish’s cross from the byline just inside the area on the left was diverted out by Ndidi who had his hand thrust out in an awkward position. Clear as day. Now Haaland has the ball and is standing with it over the spot.
Darren England has been called to the monitor.
10 min: Penalty incoming, Ndidi has clearly made contact with his hand.
10 min: Haaland takes a swipe from the corner. Then Stones. They’re all trying to a kick a ball that is seemingly running away from them. More City pressure as Iversen doesn’t clear. Really scrappy.
9 min: Ooh, it’s a corner but perhaps should have been a free kick, or even a penalty, after Faes bashed into the back of Grealish. Looked pretty clear to me, but even VAR says no.
7 min: That makes an already impossible mission even more so for the Foxes. Barring something spectacular this now becomes a quantity question. City are on the attack again with Stones and Dias once again occupying positions deep in Leicester’s half.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Leicester City (Stones, 5)
BANG! Even their centre backs score crackers. It’s from a corner but not with his head. The ball is cleared but is sent back in the mix. It bobbles and bounces and Stones lashes it on the volley with his left foot and finds the net just inside the post. What a hit.
Updated
4 min: Dias and Stones are playing with the ball about 10m inside Leicester’s half. Grealish on the overlap down the left dinks a ball to the back post. It falls for Marhez who shoots but it’s blocked for a corner.
3 min: Marhrez pulls down a high ball inside the area with the most delicious touch. His cross is blocked but City build again down the left with Grealish involved. Looks like this will be 90 minutes of attack versus defence. Not that we were expecting much else.
2 min: It’s a solid wall of five at the back for Leicester. They’ll want to break when they get it and Maddison does, but trips over his own feet and City have it back.
1 min: City, in their traditional sky blue, kick off all the way to Ederson. Leicester in black already in their two compact blocks.
City with a 4-3-3. Leicester going with a 5-3-2.
Just been told this is Daniel Iversen’s fifth league game but it’s with his third Premier League manager. That is some stat.
Five minutes to go. A City win take them within three of Arsenal. If Leicester pull off a stunning result they’ll move out of the relegation zone.
“Why Leicester have signed Dean Smith? Surely if they wanted to avoid drop, they should’ve hired that goal linesman that saved Villa that year.”
That’s from Yash Gupta. My guess is they tried him first but he turned it down.
So, can Leicester actually pull this off? I mean, really, in this real world, survive the drop? It’ll take something special. The club is a basket case and they can’t buy a win. Good luck Dean Smith. I’m certainly rooting for them.
In this piece, Ben Fisher chats to the man tasked with performing a miracle:
“One thing is clear,” says Jeff Sax. “With with Pep in charge, city have a chance to win the PL, but not the Champions League.”
I dunno, Jeff. Call it a hunch that thousands of other people have, but I think they’re going to do it in Istanbul this year.
I wonder what Manchester City’s cotton wool budget is? £10 million? £20 million? Whatever it is, they’ll need to double it to wrap up that striking Viking between games.
According to the boss, the sentient goal machine, Erling Haaland, is being taken care of “24 hours” a day, which makes total sense, to be fair.
“Hi Daniel”
Hi Jan Wetzel. Thanks for being my first correspondent today. What’s on your mind?
“Can I just question the logic of the recurring refrain these days of “City know that their fate is in their hands. Win all their remaining games....”? Because you could say the same about Arsenal. In fact, they only need to not loose against City, right? Which is a *slightly* easier proposition. Asking for a friend. Best, Jan.”
Thanks Jan. It’s a good question and though I’m about to give an answer, please know it’s not a hill I’ll die on.
I think both clubs have a hand on the trophy as they’re both in control of their destinies. If I was calling Arenal’s game tomorrow I might have spoken in these terms then.
Now does that mean that neither team has a hand on the trophy? It’s a philosophical conundrum that was explore in the excellent ‘Football Cliches’ podcast hosted by Adam Hurrey.
If you’re asking me, I think it’s still 50-50 despite the points difference at present. I’m not a City fan but I can honestly see them winning every game from here which means they’ll obviously drop points today.
Dean Smith names his first team
The mission is simple for new boss Dean Smith: Beat the world’s best team on their own patch and save their Premier League status. Simple, eh?
Leicester City: Iversen, Castagne, Soyuncu, Souttar, Faes, Kristiansen, Drewsbury-Hall, Tielemans (c), Ndidi, Maddison, Vardy.
Substitutes: Ward, Amartey, Thomas, Mendy, Praet, Marcal-Madivadua, Tete, Iheanacho, Daka.
Dean Smith's first Foxes XI 📝 ⚫#MCILEI pic.twitter.com/J6t2CVA1NN
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 15, 2023
Kyle Walker starts for the first time in over a month.
The man once considered England’s premier right back makes a return. So too does Aymeric Laporte as Manchester City unleash a full strength team that sends shivers down the spine. Just look at that line-up!
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (c), Bernardo, Mahrez, Grealish, Haaland.
Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Ake, Gundogan, Alvarez, Gomez, Akanji, Palmer, Lewis.
TEAM NEWS! 🙌
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 15, 2023
XI | Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Ake, Gundogan, Alvarez, Gomez, Akanji, Palmer, Lewis#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/GOz2nXZCcM
Before we get into the fun stuff, it’s worth having a quick chat about Hillsborough. Don’t worry, I won’t add anything to the discourse. There’s nothing I could say that would be better than what Sachin Nakrani said.
I also want to share this beautiful cartoon from last yearby the genius that is David Squires. So subtle, so powerful, just brilliant:
Preamble
Hello, hello and welcome to this tale of two contrasting Cities. It’s squeaky bum time now for the title chasers in Manchester and the survival hopefuls from Leicester. Anything but a victory won’t do either any good this afternoon.
City* know that their fate is in their hands. Win all their remaining games and they’ll pip Arsenal by the end of the season.
Leicester*, mired in 19th and on a winless run of nine games stretching back to 11 February, are in deep, deep trouble. It would be shocking to see the former champions go down but down they’ll go unless they can sort themselves out.
This fixture was a belter last season with the home side winning a 6-3 slugfest. Perhaps that will embolden the Foxes who might regard this as a free swing. After all, only their most diehard fans will expect much against a side that has made mincemeat of their opponents of late, including the German giants Bayern Munich who were were swatted aside 3-0 in midweek.
But you never know. Relegation scraps and late season title chargers can do strange things to the body and mind. One gaffe, one slip, one loose pass and an entire campaign’s work can come a cropper.
This’ll be a goodie. I can feel it.
If you’re on the same page, or you want me to be on your page, or you’ve got a line from a page you want to share with the group, please do get in touch. My name is Dan and I’m delighted to be at the wheel for this one.
Kick off at 5:30 BST. Teams and updates to follow.
*A quick caveat. For the sake of clarity, I’ll be referring to Manchester City as ‘City’ and will call Leicester City ‘Leicester’. My apologies to any Leicester City fans. Please don’t see this as a demotion. I just want to avoid getting my wires crossed.
