Three Takeaways as Manchester City win over Leicester
Manchester City went back to business with an encouraging 1-0 away win against third place Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
1. City’s Penalty Woes Continue
Sergio Agüero’s second half miss from the spot continued a worrying trend heading into Manchester City’s Champions League tie with Real Madrid; the Citizens have now missed five of their last seven penalties in all competitions, including four straight misses in the league.
Pep Guardiola has stated in the past that Ederson is the best penalty taker at the club, and although it’s a risk too great to allow him to take them in regular time, should City be faced with a shootout, the Brazilian should either shoot first or in the deciding slot. City need to maximize their opportunities for the rest of the season, and such a poor record from the spot is simply not good enough for the upper echelon of European football.
2. The Return of the Clean Sheet
City kept their second consecutive clean sheet in the league, which is highly encouraging after some of the defensive woes this season. City have been boosted in a massive way by the return of Aymeric Laporte, who went straight down the tunnel after being substituted. City will need to be at their very best at the back to keep out Real Madrid next week, and Laporte is a huge part of keeping this team running at peak form. The clean sheet against one of the Premier League’s most potent attacks, including Golden Boot frontrunner Jamie Vardy, is a great sign.
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3. The “Real” Battle Begins
With retaining the Premier League title having gone out the window for some time now, City and their supporters have been turning their eyes to the Champions League and the Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid since the draw was announced in December.
The most entertaining matchup at this stage of the tournament, the time for warming up and finding form is over—it’s time to deliver. City must play their best football of the season if they hope to progress and challenge for the club’s first Champions League title. City are not in elite form, and some of the rust and lack of match fitness showed against Leicester, although they managed to get a result. The time for excuses has gone, and it’s finally the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We will see if City can show the world that they remain one of the continent’s best.