Manchester City 3-1 Leicester: What Are The Key Talking Points As Pep Guardiola’s Side Lay Down A Title Marker At The Etihad?

Putting in a real first-half romp at the Etihad, Manchester City breezed their way to a 3-1 romp against relegation scrappers Leicester on Saturday evening.

Needing just five minutes to open the scoring as John Stones produced a wonderful volley from the edge of the box, it was then City’s attacking talisman who stole all of the headlines.

With the record-breaking Erling Haaland bagging yet another Premier League brace after snatching a quick-fire double in the space of just 12 minutes, Pep Guardiola’s side certainly laid down a title marker as they moved within three points of Arsenal.

Opening their Champions League quarter-final adventure with a first-leg 3-0 victory against Bayern Munich earlier in the week, the defending champions have now won each of their last nine straight appearances across all competitions.

Not having to get out of second gear for large spells, City also piled more pressure onto a Leicester squad who find themselves at the heart of a public Premier League nightmare.

Opening Dean Smith’s tenure in charge with a nightmare first-half display and lucky to have left with a consolation strike as Kelechi Iheanacho poked home 15 minutes before the end, the Foxes remain in the drop zone and without a Premier League victory since back on February 11th.

A showdown that was one-way traffic on Saturday evening, we have taken a look at the main talking points from the Etihad.

A statement that will be heard in north London

Laying down a heavyweight Champions League marker earlier in the week as they breezed their way to a 3-0 romp against Bayern Munich, Manchester City have certainly hit top gear at a crucial time.

With Arsenal making the trip across London on Sunday afternoon when they meet West Ham, Guardiola was certainly calling on his side to make a title statement on Saturday evening.

Not having to break a sweat here and only continuing on a remarkable free-scoring run on either side of March’s international break, the Sky Blues are now firmly breathing down Arsenal’s neck.

Closing Saturday’s fixtures sat just three points adrift of their bitter title rivals, the former Barcelona boss should find the mood in his camp at a red-hot high.

Sat firmly in pole position to punch their Champions League semi-final ticket when they travel out to Germany in midweek, Guardiola’s superstar squad are still dreaming of the chance to claim a famous domestic and European-double this season.

Potentially swinging the momentum in their favour, City are certainly riding a recent clinical wave.

Now winning each of their last nine straight appearances across all competitions – a run that stems back to February 22nd – City really couldn’t have dreamed of a better performance on Saturday evening.

Is Haaland already the Premier League’s greatest-ever striker?

If Manchester City are to pinch Arsenal at the line and defend their Premier League crown in 2023, there is no doubt that their striking superstar will receive all of the plaudits.

While Haaland might have only arrived in England’s top-flight last summer after making the move from Borussia Dortmund, there is already a strong argument that the 22-year-old is the Premier League’s greatest-ever marksmen.

Storming his way to yet another Premier League brace here and not even required to return from the half-time break, Haaland has only continued to break both domestic and European records by the week.

Cementing his spot as Europe’s most lethal number nine, Haaland’s brace on Saturday evening means that the Norwegian sensation has now bagged a stunning 30 Premier League strikes in just his 27 appearances.

Already regarded to be a modern-era icon, the one-time Salzburg starlet now has his sights set on dragging City to a famous silverware sweep over the coming weeks.

Likewise, leading the chase to claim this year’s European Golden Boot, it remains to be seen who can stop the Premier League’s new poster boy.

Smith faces an almighty struggle over the coming weeks

While Smith couldn’t have wished for a worse start to his tenure in charge of Leicester, the former Aston Villa boss would have been hugely concerned by a nightmare display from his new squad.

Completely blown away heading into the half-time break and already accepting that they would be leaving the Etihad empty-handed on Saturday evening, Smith faces what looks set to be an almighty struggle over the coming weeks.

Parting ways with Brendan Rodgers earlier in the week, Leicester sill find themselves sat firmly in the bottom-three and now tipped as a leading relegation contender in 2023.

Continuing to show a string of glaring issues on either side of March’s international break, Leicester have now remarkably collected just a single point from any of their last eight straight Premier League appearances.

Quickly gaining a reputation for their public defensive issues, Smith’s side really don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves as they end Saturday’s fixtures still sat down in 19th.

With the feel of a club in crisis and without a Premier League victory to their name since back on February 11th, Leicester face what is a must-win showdown next weekend when they welcome Wolves to the King Power.

Match Report

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Stones, Rodri, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Silva, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Akanji, Phillips, Palmer, Alvarez, Gomez

Leicester: Iversen, Faes, Souttar, Soyuncu, Castagne, Ndidi, Tielemans, Kristiansen, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison, Vardy

Subs: Iheanacho, Thomas, Mendy, Praet

Goals: Manchester City: Stones (5’), Haaland (13’, 25’) – Leicester: Iheanacho (75’)

Yellow Cards: Manchester City: Silva – Leicester: Soyuncu

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Darren England