Pep Guardiola marked his 500th match in charge of Manchester City with a tense victory over Leicester City.
Goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland secured only the second win in 10 Premier League games for the struggling defending champions. However, the victory wasn’t enough to push City back into the top four, leaving them in fifth place, 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who were set to face West Ham later on Sunday.
Despite enduring the worst run of his managerial career, Guardiola remained defiant, vowing not to give up. Still, his side faced significant challenges at the King Power Stadium, with Jamie Vardy narrowly missing twice and Facundo Buonanotte hitting the post for Leicester.
Manchester City’s confidence remains shaky, but their performance was enough to overcome a Leicester team that has faltered after a promising start under manager Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Foxes have now suffered four consecutive defeats and five losses in seven matches since Steve Cooper’s sacking in November, leaving them in the relegation zone.
Leicester came close to breaking through in the first half when Vardy capitalized on Josko Gvardiol’s error, but goalkeeper Stefan Ortega denied him. Moments later, Buonanotte’s header hit the post, but Leicester were already trailing after Savinho’s first goal for City in the 21st minute. The Brazilian winger pounced on a rebound from Phil Foden’s shot, firing high into the net from six yards out.
The Foxes continued to test City’s vulnerable defense in the second half, with James Justin nearly equalizing before Manuel Akanji cleared the danger. Vardy hit the bar late on and missed another golden opportunity, firing over from close range. Haaland eventually secured the win, heading in Savinho’s cross with 16 minutes remaining to seal the three points.