Leicester 0-2 Man City: Foxes not as effective on counter attack

However, once the Leicester City game plan became less reserved – from the start of the second-half – Manchester City had a lot more space to create chances. Most notably, Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans looked exposed centrally as Pérez was tasked with playing the “connecting” role between midfield and attack thus forcing him to play higher than his first-half positioning. This played directly into Guardiola’s hands, as his midfield – composed of a defensive-midfield double pivot (Fernandinho and Rodri) and Kevin De Bruyne, started to overrun the Foxes.

After playing a nearly perfect first-half, the defensive three of Leicester City started to commit to challenges as their midfield looked exposed. The Benjamin Mendy goal was a direct correlation of this domino effect. De Bruyne is found (on the edge of the Foxes box) behind Tielemans and Ndidi, this forced both Evans and Wesley Fofana to step up and press him. I’d suggest that in the role he plays, there’s none better in the world than De Bruyne, who lays a perfectly weighted ball through the two advancing defenders into Riyad Mahrez. The goal doesn’t come directly from this attack, but it does highlight the issues that were forming.

Eventually, a cross from Rodri is half-cleared by Tielemans and Marc Albrighton at the back-post. Again I’ve alluded to this before, but Albrighton’s defending angles aren’t good – unsurprising given his entire career has been spent more advanced, and he overcommits to Mendy’s “fake” shot. This opens up an angle for a shot on goal – which is made a lot easier
by Evans’ positioning (as he’s removed himself from the centre – which would’ve blocked the shot – to cover Agüero at the penalty spot). I don’t understand this from the experienced defender, he could’ve covered the pass to Agüero in his initial position by intercepting/blocking as soon as the Argentine receives it, but instead he vacates the most important part of the box and grants Manchester City their opener.

I don’t think Evans deserves a great deal of slander for this, prior to this attacking sequence his positioning had been exemplary all game – this was very uncharacteristic of him. Unfortunately, with the first-half domination and now a lead, the Foxes really had an uphill battle to restore the fixture and that only forced more commitment in the middle third and better chances for Guardiola’s side.