Leicester City couldn’t complete a league double over Manchester City, as the Foxes were outclassed by Pep Guardiola’s side – ending 2-0, without creating any “good” chances.
Brendan Rodgers opted for consistency in his team selection, only dropping Çağlar Söyüncü for COVID-19 related reasons. This allowed Daniel Amartey to feature as the right centre-back in a 3-4-1-2, with the rest of the starting XI unchanged from the side that beat Manchester United two weeks prior.
There was a few murmurs of potentially shifting to the 3-4-3 formation that rewarded Leicester City with maximum points at the Etihad – in impressive fashion – but, without Harvey Barnes operating on the left-side, it was logical to field the narrow front three (Kelechi Iheanacho, Jamie Vardy, and Ayoze Pérez) that played fluidly in the FA Cup quarter-final. I also feel that Pérez’s previous role (as the right-midfielder) and Iheanacho’s tendency to drop into the left half-space, could create a 3-4-3 structure for Rodgers if he wanted to replicate the previous system.
Prior to the game, Rodgers was asked if his tactics would be a carbon copy of the previous tie, i.e. sit in a deep-block, soak up the inevitable Citizen’s pressure, and look to devastate in the transitions/counters. Regardless of whether that was his plan or not, Rodgers remained tight-lipped, but did suggest the Foxes would see very little of the ball – 35% to be punctual (which turned out to be fairly accurate, although Leicester City did register 44% in the end).
It’s for this reason, that I though the Foxes played alright – especially considering the final outcome. Slight tactical alterations allowed Leicester to see out the first-half with a clean sheet, most notably being Pérez as a third central-midfielder (alongside the usual pivot) to create a 5-3-2 formation out of possession. I think the Spaniard is able to play this role due to his understanding of when to instigate a press outside the compact block and when to remain in the shape. His instinctive nature forced Kyle Walker into a few mistakes early into the game.
Shifting Pérez into the midfield also made Leicester City narrow in depth, meaning Guardiola’s side had to utilise the wings in chance creation. Both full-backs, Walker and Benjamin Mendy, had free roles due to the space afforded to them, but throughout the first-half there crosses/cutbacks where met
by one of the Foxes centre-backs. I thought Jonny Evans’ positioning for all of these (as the central defender) was incredibly good – particularly when you consider that Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Agüero started the game (i.e. 2-vs-1 centrally).
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.
The second-goal is wonderful, and truly a testament to the quality of personnel in their attacking line. Again, did both Fofana and Evans need to commit themselves to intercepting the pass – only allowing the ball to find Jesus completely unmarked, probably not. But, the weight of pass and timing of the run calved the Foxes open and gave the Citizen’s a deserved 2-0 score line.
This was ultimately the undoing of Leicester City – who had defended to near perfection prior to the goals. But, when you deploy a system that involves sitting deep and allowing your opposition to create chances, the slightest of mistakes cause bigger issues – and the Foxes were punished.
To be completely honest though, Leicester also conceded two goals to Manchester City in the 5-2 decimation – that day the Foxes executed their counter attack scenarios to their maximum and they didn’t replicate that. It’s the small margins of football, and that’s why I find the discourse of Leicester being “awful” yesterday a little bit bewildering – when compared to the “perfection” of the previous tie.
Alas, that’s the Foxes most difficult league game out of the way and it’s not shameful to lose to Guardiola’s side in that form. I don’t think the result is a fair reflection of Leicester’s chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and shouldn’t damage the fans’ perspective.