Leicester keep Manchester City at bay to remain second

Leicester City 0 Manchester City 0

It is probably a measure of how far Leicester City have come that they might reflect on a goalless draw against such an expensively assembled cast of Premier League all-stars with a tinge of disappointment. Yet Claudio Ranieri’s team can still take encouragement from the way they matched a side that has won the title in two out of the past three seasons and Jamie Vardy could probably be excused on this one occasion that he was unable to take the chance that might have sent them back to the top of the division.

Vardy’s first-half miss was incongruous to how the rest of his season has gone but he still played his part in another display that demonstrated why Leicester have reached the midway point of the current campaign in the leading pack and are denied top spot only by goal difference. This, however, was a night when Manchester City reminded themselves it was possible to keep out the opposition without Vincent Kompany.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team are still short of their most exhilarating peaks but, defensively, this was an improved performance given the way they have been so susceptible without their captain recently.

They have conceded more goals than Crystal Palace and Stoke this season but Joe Hart was protected well, for the most part, against a Leicester side that is discovering there are different pressures at the top and did not maybe play with the same freedom as earlier in the campaign.

One of the joys of Leicester’s rise has been their willingness to take the game to their opponents from the first whistle. Here, though, there was a measure of conservatism, too.

Ranieri’s team began the game as though acutely aware that their opponents can be devastating on the counterattack. The high sense of adventure that has been Leicester’s trademark was missing during the opening exchanges and, for the first time in a long time, it was possible to detect a few nerves among the crowd.

Leicester’s defeat at Liverpool on Boxing Day was their first since September and there was a sense early on that their momentum may have been broken or at least that it was beginning to fray around the edges.

Passes were misplaced or long, hopeful punts were aimed in the direction of Vardy, rather than the quick, penetrative football that had swamped other sides.

They were indebted to Kasper Schmeichel’s goalkeeping during those moments in the first half when the movement and speed of their opponents left them vulnerable.

Raheem Sterling had been moved from the wing to take up a more central position. He was an elusive opponent while, in the wide positions, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva showed their refinement on the ball. With Sergio Aguero lurking in dangerous places, that attacking quartet always gave Pellegrini’s team a menacing edge.

All the same Leicester still created the two most inviting chances of the first half. The home side took a while to work up a head of steam but a flurry of pressure at the end of that period invigorated the crowd and reminded everyone of their ability to trouble defences.

Marc Albrighton had their first opportunity but could not apply the finishing touch after a wonderful left-wing delivery from Christian Fuchs and, shortly afterwards, the ball was at Vardy’s feet in the position where he loves to be, bearing down on goal with the time to draw back his foot and pick his spot.

Fernandinho had lost the ball in front of his own penalty area and Vardy, played in by Danny Drinkwater, has been so prolific this season it came almost as a jolt that he could not punish that carelessness. His shot flew over the crossbar and the crowd went into half-time wondering how costly that miss might prove.

Vardy’s directness and raw pace, coupled with his absolute determination to influence the course of the match, still made him a dangerous player and Leicester began the second half with a new impetus.

Drinkwater might not attract the same publicity as Vardy or Mahrez but his intelligent midfield play has been a prominent factor in Leicester’s success and he had another fine game. N’Golo Kante showed again why he has been one of the outstanding buys this season and when the home side were put under pressure Wes Morgan showed his capabilities alongside Robert Huth in the centre of defence. Morgan is another understated member of Ranieri’s team but Leicester’s captain had managed to subdue Aguero’s threat by the time the Argentinian was substituted on 64 minutes.

Aguero did not look too happy when he came off but that might have been more to do with the fact he felt he had been fouled inside the penalty area in the previous attack.

That was the second penalty appeal the referee, Craig Pawson, turned down, having decided that Danny Simpson’s handball did not deserve a spot-kick. Silva was taken off 10 minutes later and Pellegrini must feel his team will have a much more potent threat once these two players are capable of finishing matches.

Mahrez had his best spell of the match in the last 20 minutes, including a wonderful turn to flummox Kevin De Bruyne, and Leicester were still pressing for a winner in the final exchanges.

LEICESTER: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Drinkwater (King 80), Inler (Ulloa 67), Kante, Albrighton (De Laet 90), Vardy. Subs Not Used: Okazaki, Dyer, Wasilewski, Schwarzer. Booked: Albrighton. MAN CITY: Hart, Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov, Toure, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Silva (Jesus Navas 74), Sterling (Iheanacho 89), Aguero (Bony 64). Subs Not Used: Zabaleta, Caballero, Demichelis, Horsfield. Booked: Kolarov, Mangala, De Bruyne. Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).