Hitting low ebb after low ebb, Premier League champions-in-crisis Manchester City endeavour to close 2024 with an increasingly rare win away to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.
Pep Guardiola’s troops could only nick a point off Everton on Boxing Day, while the Foxes threatened to spring a surprise against Liverpool before losing 3-1 to the league leaders.
Festive cheer was already in short supply in the blue half of Manchester before the visit of Sean Dyche’s team, who had stunted Arsenal and Chelsea’s high-flying attackers and had every right to feel optimistic of nullifying Erling Haaland and co at the crumbling Etihad.
A Bernardo Silva strike in the opening 15 minutes put paid to the idea of another high-profile 0-0 stalemate involving Everton, but one Iliman Ndiaye equaliser and missed Haaland penalty later, Man City failed to win a Premier League game for the eighth time in nine matches
All but out of the title picture approaching the halfway mark – 14 points behind Liverpool having played a game more – Man City’s customary Champions League qualification is far from assured either, as the Citizens sit in unchartered territory in seventh place in the Premier League table.
Losing Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, failure to refresh an ageing squad and a perpetual injury crisis can all be highlighted when trying to pinpoint the root of Man City’s calamitous collapse, and Guardiola’s list of New Year’s resolutions should be the longest it has ever been.
The Boxing Day stalemate with the Toffees means that the former Champions League winners have just the one win under their belts from their last 13 matches in all competitions, and each of Man City’s last five away games in the Premier League have seen the Citizens concede two goals, while only nabbing one point from a possible 15.
For approximately 40 minutes on Thursday evening, it was not all doom and gloom for the crestfallen Man City faithful, who shared Chelsea and Arsenal’s joy when Jordan Ayew sent Leicester into a shock lead against Liverpool at a fog-filled Anfield.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men were oh so close to holding out until the half-time whistle, but a Cody Gakpo stunner breathed new life into the league leaders, who subsequently turned the tide in the second half through a Curtis Jones strike and Mohamed Salah’s 100th Premier League home goal.
Fixtures
EPL
Sunday
Leicester vs Man City
Palace vs Southampton
Everton vs Forest
Fulham vs Bournemouth
Spurs vs Wolves
West Ham vs Liverpool
Serie A
Saturday
Empoli vs Genoa
Parma vs Monza
Cagliari vs Inter
Lazio vs Atalanta
Sunday
Udinese vs Torino
Napoli vs Venezia
Juventus vs Fiorentina
Milan vs Roma
