Man City find a new way to finally end horror run but bigger questions remain | OneFootball

It was a landmark occasion for Pep Guardiola. Not because he took charge of Manchester City for the 500th time, joining only Les McDowall in a select club, but because a manager who was a byword for winning actually won a game. For a manager with 39 trophies in his career, such results seemed routine.

Not any more. After nine defeats in 13 games, there was relief and respite, the rarity of victory. “I never thought it was so difficult to win one single game,” said Guardiola, after his side made hard work of a 2-0 triumph over Leicester City. “The right word, more than happiness, is relief.”

It felt so seismic that, led by Bernardo Silva, many of their players threw their shirts into the crowd. It was a win with a difference; this was not the way they used to come. City were nervous and anxious, almost powerless. Guardiola took the passing game to new levels but relegation-threatened Leicester had more possession. City relied on the woodwork, the offside flag, and a goal-line clearance.

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The relief at finally winning a game was palpable for Man City (PA Wire)

“Today the coin came [down for us],” said Guardiola. Until Erling Haaland scored, they barely had a threat in the second half; much of it was spent camped in their half, penned back by a side who were in the Championship last season. There was scant evidence a corner was turned. “The best of us will come back,” said Guardiola. It was rarely seen at the King Power Stadium. But, for only the second time in two months, they triumphed.

“Today it helps to clean our minds and souls,” added Guardiola, seeking to banish the previous 13 matches, if not his first 486. “It’s lot of games, I could not expect when I landed in this country,” he said. “The month and a half to two months that feels like 500 months, will make you realise how nice it was.”

A wretched run has made him reflective and brought out the pessimism in the City supporters’ psyche that was ingrained long before Guardiola’s arrival. Before the game their young mascot predicted a 2-1 win, but for Leicester. When Savinho scored, the chorus was “City’s staying up”. If there was a retro feel to the chorus, the fans did the Poznan and sang about Roberto Mancini. “How s**t must you be?” they asked. “We’re winning away.” Which, after seven defeats and a draw in eight trips for terrible travellers, came as a change.

“We have to improve a lot but we improve with results,” said Guardiola. It has been the Catch-22 problem for City but he added: “Hopefully we can go to another game with a new face.” And the faces of victory belonged to the newcomers. While Haaland could be the headline act, his goal a redemptive moment for a forward who missed a penalty against Everton on Boxing Day, victory owed much to two young wingers. City have looked too old in a historic slump but players aged 20 and 22 sought to extricate them.

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Savinho grabbed a goal and an assist for Man City (AFP via Getty Images)

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James McAtee – the England Under-21 captain – impressed in a cameo from the City subs’ bench (Getty Images)

Savinho had his most productive outing in a City shirt, scoring a belated first goal in his 24th appearance, adding an assist when he chipped the cross that Haaland headed in.

The second goal stemmed, however, from a gliding run on the right touchline by James McAtee. The England Under-21 captain had felt the one player left unused in an injury crisis, confined to two minutes of top-flight football before he replaced Phil Foden. Unusually of late, a Guardiola gambit worked. “I had the feeling today if I had to make a sub the first one would be James,” said Guardiola. McAtee’s energy gave City breathing space.

Savinho started on the left, with Jeremy Doku dropped, and swept in a shot after Jakub Stolarczyk pushed Phil Foden’s long-range effort into his path. Savinho’s similarities to the former Leicester favourite Riyad Mahrez are such that he took his old shirt number – 26 – but with the critical difference that, whereas the Algerian was prolific, the Brazilian did not score. “Today, he finally scored with all the chances he had all season,” said Guardiola. “And Erling broke his bad momentum.”

It had shaped up as another frustrating afternoon for Haaland. Stolarczyk denied him with his trailing leg, turning away a half-volley. The Norwegian shot wide after some deft footwork. A first goal in five games was a reward for the persistence of a new father. “A lot of emotions,” said Guardiola.

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Erling Haaland finally ended his recent goal drought, scoring for the first time in five games (REUTERS)

As one potent forward struck, City could be grateful their old nemesis spared them further punishment. As they showed a vulnerability to quick breaks, Jamie Vardy converged on their goal four times.

Stefan Ortega upended him when offside, the flag sparing City from a spotkick. The goalkeeper denied the Leicester captain after he latched onto the latest mistake from Josko Gvardiol. Vardy volleyed over from six yards. Finally, he looped a header onto Ortega’s bar. But Leicester have conceded 12 goals in four games, scoring just one. “Both boxes will make the difference,” said manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.

And City were fraught in their own penalty area, a team lacking coherence and confidence living dangerously. Facundo Buonanotte headed against the post. Manuel Akanji cleared James Justin’s backheeled volley off the line. It was a fourth straight defeat for Van Nistelrooy, but much the closest his side have come to a point in that time. “A shame,” he said. “We invested a lot in getting a result in a certain way.”

And, instead, with less of the ball, City got the result they have rarely had of late and in a manner they hardly needed in the past.