Costly miss: Manchester City’s Sergei Aguero can only watch in horror as his chip sails over the Leicester bar during the EPL tie, Tuesday
Leicester: Manchester City were frustrated again on the road as Leicester bounced back from defeat at Liverpool with a 0-0 draw that maintained their surprise Premier League title challenge.
Leicester had to withstand a barrage of first half pressure from their visitors but they held firm for the point that took them level with Arsenal at the top of the table. The draw left Manchester City winless for five games – a statistics they can ill afford.
Leicester abandoned their normal 4-4-2 system and started with Gokhan Inler as an extra midfielder alongside N’Golo Kante and the returning Danny Drinkwater, who was back from a hamstring injury.
Shinji Okazaki and Andy King were the men to make way while City brought back Sergio Aguero in place of Wilfried Bony.
The visitors made all of the early running and exploited their hosts repeatedly down the flanks. Pellegrini’s men wasted several decent crossing opportunities before Leicester almost struck a blow against the run of play. Inler was fouled 25 yards from goal and Christian Fuchs’ free-kick was headed over by Robert Huth.
But Manchester City were the more likely scorers and they should have made the breakthrough when Raheem Sterling burst down the right and squared for Kevin de Bruyne. He hit a firm shot but it was pushed away solidly by Kasper Schmeichel in the home goal.
Leicester had been pinned back in their own half with striker Jamie Vardy isolated for lengthy spells. But then they should have scored twice in the 40th minute.
First Fuchs’ cross from the left eluded Marc Albrighton at the far post by inches. Then Fernandinho gifted possession to Vardy, who exchanged passes with Drinkwater on the edge of the box before blasting over.
Aguero should have given the visitors the lead a minute into the second half when he arrived at the near post to meet a De Bruyne cross. But Leicester, who had squandered possession cheaply, were reprieved when the Argentine sent a cheeky chip over the crossbar.
Late in the game City goalkeeper Joe Hart had to make a good, flying save to keep out a thunderous shot from Fuchs following a short corner by the Foxes. AFP