Manchester City 3-1 Leicester City: Major talking points

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 21: Jonny Evans of Leicester City shields the ball from Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

We need to talk about Jonny Evans

Leicester may have ended up conceding three goals and that is all that most people will talk about, but Jonny Evans was in a league of his own, sniffing out danger when he got the chance to, telling Caglar Soyuncu who’s the boss when he had the opportunity to, and showing Manchester United what they are missing out on by simply doing what he had to.

Amid a rapacious cannonade from the Citizens, as others footled and vacillated, Evans, a defensive zealot, was fairly phlegmatic, putting on a display as good as any centre-back has at the home of the champions of England. This is why Pep Guardiola wants him by his side, working as his amanuensis as he tries to paint the perfect trophy cabinet.

Evans will never quite have a stature or following that is even remotely similar to someone like Virgil Van Dijk or Sergio Ramos but it does little to dispel his status as one of the best in his position in the past decade.

You will never hear anyone calling him the best in the world or even the best in England. Truth, however, is that he is right up there. Sir Alex Ferguson would know.