Savinho and Haaland find answers to Manchester City’s problems in Leicester | Premier League

It wasn’t without the kind of mistakes that have become the norm of late, but Pep Guardiola finally restarted his Manchester City winning machine in his 500^th battle responsible. “City is back,” it sounded from the away side at the final whistle. Erling Haaland sealed the victory, heading in to finish off a smart move, kick-started by substitute James McAtee. City flicked through the gears they have struggled to find in recent weeks, moving the ball from right to left and Haaland, played onside by Conor Coady, drifted in unmarked after meeting Savinho’s cross.

Savinho got City going, feasting on the rebound from a bouncing Phil Foden shot parried by Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, but City’s second win in 14 games and second clean sheet in as many games was anything but routine . Yet a year that began with a 32-game unbeaten run en route to a fourth Premier League title ended in familiar fashion.

City led from the 21st minute^St minute but there was no comfort blanket until Haaland’s header after 74. Jamie Vardy’s presence proved unsettling, the forward, who turns 38 in a fortnight, returning to the starting line-up to lead Leicester’s attack and keep Nathan Aké on his toes. Vardy hit the visitors’ crossbar and ended up tangled in the net after lifting a shot over from Stephy Mavididi’s sumptuous cross. Vardy slipped between Aké, who was replaced by Kyle Walker midway through the second half, and Manuel Akanji, but could not get his effort on target. Vardy was the catalyst for the move that saw Akanji prevent James Justin from safely grabbing the ball minutes earlier.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will be cheered by masses. Bilal El Khannouss’ featherweight, curling cross from the right flank shortly after the half-hour was the perfect example of how close Leicester came to equalizing on several occasions. El Khannouss’ inviting ball eluded Justin, Vardy who appeared to leave it on purpose and Facundo Buonanotte who was left banging his forehead against the back post in frustration. Buonanotte made himself comfortable with the woodwork and eight minutes later sent a header against the same post after Josko Gvardiol and Savinho failed to clear the remains of El Khannouss’ cross from the left.

City offered Leicester encouragement, windows of opportunity. City’s first scare was averted when Vardy, having raced on to Buonanotte’s through ball in the left channel, was flagged for offside after being brought down in the box by a sheepish-looking Stefan Ortega before glancing to his left for confirmation from the assistant judge.

Gvardiol then undercooked a header back to his keeper for Vardy to latch onto and trouble Ortega, who dashed at his near post to save. It was plain City was again without the aura that has been absent for a while now. Kevin De Bruyne, back in the starting line-up in place of Jérémy Doku and Guardiola’s only change from their draw with Everton, made a routine clearance at the front post following an El Khannouss corner.

For City, a welcome buffer would have arrived 10 minutes before half-time if Haaland, after rolling past Jannik Vestergaard and rounding Boubakary Soumaré, sent his shot the other side of a post after City zoomed forward after Mateo Kovacic pickpocketed El Khannouss at half way. De Bruyne sent an early shot over but Haaland had City’s first notable chance, Stolarczyk deflecting his first shot from De Bruyne’s cut-back with his left boot.

Stolarczyk, who kept his place in goal after his first top-flight appearance against Leicester, should have done better but had no chance with City’s second. Haaland, who had a single touch in the opposition box against Aston Villa eight days ago, made Leicester pay.