Kevin de Bruyne steals show for Man City with stunning free-kick while Bernardo Silva impresses
>
Kevin de Bruyne’s sensational long-range free kick gave Manchester City a narrow 1-0 victory over Leicester and lifted them to the top of the Premier League.
The Premier League champions had to work hard at King Power on Saturday and in the end it took a magical moment from De Bruyne to secure all three points.
Leicester rallied late in search of an equaliser, but City held steadfast to claim their ninth win out of 12 and skip Arsenal to first place.
So who impressed the most in the game and which men disappointed? Sports post‘s James St Denis is in attendance with ratings for both sets of players.
Kevin de Bruyne gave Manchester City a 1-0 victory over Leicester with this beautiful free kick
City have surpassed Arsenal at the top of the Premier League thanks to De Bruyne .’s strike
LEICESTER (3-4-3)
Danny Ward – 6.5: Some neat saves in the first half kept City at bay, but couldn’t stop the visitors’ opener.
James Justin – 6: Caught a few times while in possession but overall a strong performance from the fullback.
Wout Faes – 6: Leicester’s best defender by a mile. Comfortable with the ball at his feet and dominated in the air.
Caglar Soyuncu – 5: Sloppy in possession and always looked like the weakest of the three middle halves in his first appearance of the season.
Caglar Soyuncu had an afternoon to forget on Saturday for Leicester in King Power
Daniel Amartey – 6: Looked hesitant at the ball, but the Ghanaian grew in confidence as the match lasted.
Timothy Castagne – 5.5: A good fight with Grealish throughout the match, but the Belgian slowed down towards the end.
Harvey Barnes – 5.5: Had City’s better defense in the first half, before being doubled in the second, giving him a hard time.
Youri Tielemans – 6: Couldn’t do more if he tried. Denied a stunning equalizer early in the second half with a fine save from Ederson.
James Maddison – 5.5: Unable to use his usual magic in the final third with the playmaker well locked in his own half.
Kiernan Dewsbury Hall – 4.5: Struggled to deal with the intensity of City’s midfield, but was knocked out at halftime after an unusually poor performance from the academy graduate.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struggled that day with City’s midfield intensity
However, Youri Tielemans (left) couldn’t have done more had he tried in Foxes’ midfield
Jamie Vardy – 5: Cut an isolated figure at the top for the Foxes, with Leicester’s system requiring more defense than attack.
Substitutions: Nampalys Mendy – 6: Sprayed some energy into Foxes’ midfield. Tried to get into City’s midfield but nothing came of it.
Patson Daka – 6.5: Added some much needed energy to Leicester’s attack, with the home side immediately becoming a bigger threat going forward.
Kelechi Iheanacho – 6: Like his attacking partner, he injected some pace into Leicester’s attack and should have equalized later.
Brendan Rodgers – A story of too little too late for the Foxes boss. The good changes, but the wrong time.
Manchester City (4-3-3)
Ederson – 7: Hardly got into action in the first period, but with a brilliant save, Tielemans managed to deprive the equalizer in the second period.
Joao Cancelo – 7: A constant threat to the right of the fullback. His versatility made it impossible for Leicester to mark him.
Joao Cancelo was a constant threat at right for City in their narrow 1-0 win
John Stones – 6.5: Caught by the speedy Barnes in the first half, but regrouped and looked assured for the rest of the game.
Aymeric Laporte – 6: Almost had to pay for a mistake late, but had Ederson on hand to spare his blush.
Manuel Akanji – 6: Never taken out of first gear, but still not really necessary. Very comfortable for the Swiss international.
Rodri – 7: Anchored the City backline with ease. Comfortable on the ball and rarely pressured by the hosts.
Kevin De Bruyne – 8: Was at the heart of everything City did well, opening the score with a stunning free kick after the break.
Ilkay Gundogan – 6.5: A good, but not remarkable performance from the captain. Get the job done with a minimum of fuss.
Bernardo Silva – 7.5: A silky-smooth display from the Portuguese maestro, who has mastered the procedure and is rarely bothered by Leicester’s advances.
De Bruyne became man of the match after winning the match with his spectacular strike
But the silky-smooth Bernardo Silva also produced another wonderful spectacle for Pep Guardiola’s side
Jack Grealish – 6.5: All action performances by City’s number ten, with his directness causing trouble everywhere for the Leicester rear.
Julian Allvarez – 6: It would always be difficult to replace Erling Haaland, as today is just not the day of the Argentine.
Substitutions: Ruben Dias – 6: Straight into the action as the home side raised the ante late but held on for the win. Phil Foden
Pep Guardiola- Another crucial victory for City and the Spaniard. Even with seven changes, they got the job done.
MOT: Kevin De Bruyne.