Manchester City 3-1 Leicester City: Major talking points

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 21: Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

Leicester City’s 12-game unbeaten run across all competitions came to a sorry end with a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City. Here are the major talking points from a somewhat substandard showing at the Etihad Stadium:

Riyad Mahrez still walks into this Leicester side

Whatever your personal opinion of him, Riyad Mahrez still walks into Brendan Rodgers’ first-choice XI. The way he played the other evening was another demonstration of why City had been hell-bent on signing him from Leicester and why he is still one of the most gifted players in Europe.

To say that he gave Ben Chilwell a hard time would be an understatement. He toyed with the England international and had him on his knees, which Chilwell accepted later on, even if the set of words he chose was different. Well, he obviously wasn’t going to admit that his former teammate had the better of him.

You can be sure about three things had Mahrez been a Leicester player:

He would still be the undisputed best.
Ayoze Perez wouldn’t be anyway near the XI – not in the Premier League anyway.
Leicester would a better team.

If you disagree, you don’t appreciate the Algerian’s wizardry.