Pep Guardiola marked his 500th game as Manchester City manager with a hard-fought victory at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
The Premier League champions ended 2024 on a positive note, overcoming their recent struggles with a 2-0 win over Leicester City, thanks to goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland.
Both sides had early chances to break the deadlock. Haaland fired straight at Jakub Stolarczyk after a sharp cut-back from Kevin De Bruyne, while Stefan Ortega was forced into action to deny Jamie Vardy after a wayward header from Josko Gvardiol put City under pressure.
City found the breakthrough midway through the first half. Phil Foden’s long-range strike was parried by Stolarczyk, and Savinho pounced on the rebound to score his first goal for the club since his summer arrival. Leicester came close to equalizing before the break when Facundo Buonanotte’s header struck the post.
The Foxes dominated the second half, piling pressure on the City defense. Manuel Akanji cleared James Justin’s effort off the line, and Vardy missed a golden opportunity, volleying over from close range.
City’s nerves were finally settled late on as Haaland rediscovered his scoring touch. The Norwegian striker found space at the back post to head home Savinho’s perfectly floated cross, sealing only City’s second win in their last 14 matches across all competitions.
Guardiola’s milestone game ended on a celebratory note, offering hope for a brighter 2025 for the defending champions.
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