Leicester stun Man City to go six points clear

Published February 7, 2016
Leicester City's Robert Huth celebrates scoring their third goal against Manchester City. — Reuters
Leicester City's Robert Huth celebrates scoring their third goal against Manchester City. — Reuters

MANCHESTER: Robert Huth’s double and a Riyad Mahrez goal sent Premier League leaders Leicester City six points clear after a stunning 3-1 victory at shell-shocked title rivals Manchester City on Saturday.

Leicester produced another exhilarating counter-attacking performance, playing with confidence and swagger in the top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad stadium.

They weren’t even reliant on top-scorer Jamie Vardy.

Poor marking allowed defender Huth to sweep in Mahrez’s free kick, via a deflection off Martin Demichelis, after three minutes.

Playmaker Mahrez finished off a swift break to score his 14th league goal of a hugely impressive season and double Leicester’s lead three minutes into the second half.

German centre-back Huth headed in a corner on the hour to make it 3-0, proving that Leicester, on 53 points from 25 games, have the quality and belief to make a sustained challenge for a first English top-flight crown.

Sergio Aguero replied for City with a glancing header in the 87th minute — his seventh goal in five games — but a rain-lashed day belonged to Leicester.

Leicester have never won the top flight and their squad wasn’t assembled by spending hundreds of millions of pounds like City.

It was the most sensational win to date of their fairytale 12-month rise from the bottom to the top of the table and they remain on course for the most improbable English title triumph since promoted Nottingham Forest won the league in 1977-78.

While City remain in both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League, Leicester’s only focus is the league.

City, playing at home for the first time since Pep Guardiola was announced as the successor to manager Manuel Pellegrini, have now lost six league games this season — as many as when they last won the league in 2014.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2016

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