Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 7.5

Stood tall to deny Leicester their openings, and showed the smarts picked up in his time with other struggling teams to slow the game down whenever necessary.

Manuel Akanji – 6

It’s always a tough ask for defenders to play in such a high line against a team like Leicester that thrives on the break, but we are used to seeing Akanji deal with these demands better than he did today.

Nathan Ake – 7

Probably still not fully fit, hence his limping withdrawal before the 70th minute. It didn’t impact his defending too much though, as he remained sharp to clear away Leicester threats.

Josko Gvardiol – 6

A major victim of City’s injury woes this season, as whilst he hasn’t been afflicted himself, it has meant he’s had to keep on playing even through his stretches of bad form. Doesn’t look confident right now.

Rico Lewis – 6.5

Kept stepping into the middle no matter how many kicks he took. Still looked a little lightweight though.

Mateo Kovacic – 6.5

Drove through the middle in many of City’s best moments, but clearly needs more help in there defending against transitions than he received today.

Kevin de Bruyne – 7

Dispelled worries over his fitness with a super hard-working showing, and whilst not everything he tried came off in attack, he was one of the Blues’ brightest sparks.

Bernardo Silva – 7

Did the simple things – ball retention, effort levels, covering for teammates – very well, so whilst he could have been more more threatening going forward, it has to go down as a solid display from the Portuguese.

Phil Foden – 6.5

Looked best when he was exchanging quick passes and firing sharp shots off, as he did for Savinho’s goal, or with some good set-piece deliveries. Did look a little passive on the right otherwise.

Erling Haaland – 7.5

Continued his recent trend of getting more involved in the game from deep, going close to scoring with some nice efforts. Eventually got his reward with a top header.

Savinho – 8 (MOTM)

In a game of tight margins and a lot of struggling, you have to commend the key difference-maker. Floated in and out of the action but won it for his side with a goal and an assist.

Substitutes

James McAtee – 7.5

Breathed life into City with his energy and confidence, also playing a key part in the clinching goal. Now to see if Pep Guardiola rewards this great cameo from McAtee with the minutes so many supporters have been crying out for for so long.

Kyle Walker – 6.5

Decent enough defensive work to help see it out.

Player Ratings

Ortega: A good save in the first half but came close on a few occasions to losing battles with Vardy. 6

Lewis: Another game where he finished on the other flank to where he started. Helpful to link the attack, although a few lapses at the back. 6

Akanji: Held everything together at the back - just about - for a rare clean sheet. 7

Ake: Rode his luck at times, especially in the penalty area, but used all of his experience. Came off early again. 6

Gvardiol: Far too careless in possession too often, gifting Leicester possession in the City half. 5

Kovacic: Still a worry when the ball goes past him but he enjoyed carrying City forward. 6

Foden: Showed the willing that has lifted City in recent weeks and his shot led to the first goal, although his radar wasn't working so well. 6

De Bruyne: Struggled to get going and produce the incisive passes that he has made his trademark but kept going. 6

Savinho: A goal and an assist - more games like this and he will nail down a place in the team. 8

Silva: Kept things ticking over nicely in the sort of performance that is only appreciated when the team wins. 7

Haaland: Did more defensive work than we are used to seeing and then his persistence in front of goal paid off with the header. 7

Substitutes

McAtee (for Foden, 66) Had the fans singing his name inside ten minutes for his part in the second goal. 7

Walker (for Ake, 70) Little to trouble him with City killing off the game just after he came on. 6

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega (7/10):

Alert to deny Vardy after Gvardiol's headed back-pass fell short, and looked assured in most of his work to secure City's first away clean sheet since October 1.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Spent much of the game inverted into central midfield and showed some nice touches when combining with Foden and De Bruyne. Fared OK when forced into more defensive work in the second half, too.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

A statue at times as Leicester played through City, but grew into the game as it wore on. In the right place to clear Justin's effort off the line.

Nathan Ake (7/10):

Stepped up to catch Vardy offside on more than one occasion, and made a couple of key interventions inside his own penalty area. Looked like he picked up an injury midway through the second half, however.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

Very lucky not to be punished by Vardy after his header landed at the striker's feet inside the City penalty area. A threat in the final third, but defensively continues to struggle.

Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

Carried the ball through midfield, but that did leave him out of position on transition at times. Combative but lacks the quality of Rodri.

Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

The best player on the pitch as he made smart runs and played incisive passes that opened up the Leicester defence. Involved in the build-up to both goals in a performance that showed that his class remains.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Characteristically busy in midfield as he found passing angles and put himself about defensively. Couldn't quite have a telling impact, however.

Phil Foden (5/10):

His shot led to Savinho's opener while he put in a few teasing crosses, but last season's Premier League Player of the Year continues to struggle in terms of making a telling contribution.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

Did not bring his shooting boots in the first half, as he fired straight at Stolarczyk early on before putting an effort wide after working himself into a good position. Eventually got his goal, however, with a towering header to seal the points, and looked reborn thereafter as he drove at the Leicester defence.

Savinho (7/10):

Recovered from a shaky start to react quickest to Foden's parried shot and find the net for the first time in City blue. Quiet thereafter until his fine cross found Haaland for the second City goal.

Subs & Manager

James McAtee (7/10):

Brilliant quick feet on the right led to City's second goal after he replaced Foden, and he proved a real livewire down the right after replacing Foden.

Kyle Walker (6/10):

Solid up against Mavididi after replacing the stricken Ake.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

His side were far from convincing and he still needs to find answers in defensive transition, but can at least celebrate a rare victory after a barren couple of months.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega-6.5/10: Did what he had to do with minimal fuss.

Rico Lewis-7.5/10: I thought Lewis was superb. Did his job well in trying circumstances.

Manuel Akanji-7/10: Akanji was solid at the back, and despite being less than 100% fit, he did what he had to do.

Nathan Ake-7/10: Did all he could once again before being substituted. Did his job well at the back but looked like he gave all he physically could once again.

Josko Gvardiol-6/10: His errors on another day could’ve been costly. To his credit, he defended well, but he needs to cut the errors out of his game.

Mateo Kovacic-7.5/10: I thought Kovacic was superb. His runs from midfield gave City the drive they needed and he did his job well.

Kevin De Bruyne-6/10: There were flashes of brilliance from De Bruyne. But when City didn’t have possession he struggled.

Bernardo Silva-8/10: I thought Bernardo was brilliant. His energy was crucial as was his ability to play multiple roles for his team.

Savinho-8/10: Scored his first goal for Manchester City and picked up an assist. The Brazilian winger is beginning to show just how good he can be and today’s performance is the standard for him going forward.

Phil Foden-4/10: It was Foden’s shot that was saved, which led to Savinho’s goal. But outside of that, his pressing was non-existent and that put pressure on his teammates. Not his best performance at all.

Erling Haaland-8.5/10: Manchester City’s man-of-the-match in my opinion. He dropped into midfield when needed and showed he is much more than just a goal scorer. A superb performance from Haaland.

Substitutes

James McAtee-8/10: McAtee was finally allowed to make an impression and he did. He set up Haaland’s goal and gave Manchester City the energy they desperately needed. He needs to play more going forward.

Kyle Walker-6/10: Defended well and kept it simple when he came on for Ake. That’s all Walker needs to do as his body lets him down and he did that today.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Dec 30 2024, 06:25 AM

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega - 4

Ortega was extremely fortunate that Jamie Vardy had strayed offside before he wiped out the Leicester striker in the penalty area. His decision-making seemed slow in several other moments.

Rico Lewis - 6

Academy graduate Lewis has been one of the few highlights during City’s poor run. His poise, movement and passing ability make the 20-year-old an important asset to Guardiola.

Manuel Akanji - 6

Akanji cleared off the line amid a flurry of Leicester chances during the second half. The Swiss star just seems a level below what City need at centre-back at the moment.

Nathan Ake - 5

Similar to Akanji, Ake enjoyed some positive defensive moments. However, he was withdrawn midway through the second half as Guardiola sought to change the shape to make City more solid.

Josko Gvardiol - 6

City dealt with severe pressure from Leicester and their forwards have their defenders to thank for weathering the storm.

Mateo Kovacic - 6

Kovacic protected his back four well and is unfortunate that he is replacing the best defensive midfielder in the world. This was a solid enough display.

Bernardo Silva - 6

Silva floated around in midfield with relative success. However, moving the Portugal international to the right and having Foden centrally might solve a few of City's problems.

Kevin De Bruyne - 7

City are so much better when De Bruyne is at full speed. Unfortunately, those days are a rarity these days as he struggles to return to full fitness following a sports hernia. The Belgian was still City’s best player and was the likeliest to create chances for Erling Haaland.

Phil Foden - 4

City need much more from Foden but Guardiola must also take some of the blame for the England star’s below-par season. Isolated on the right, the 24-year-old looked worn out and needs to play centrally to have an impact on games. Foden was taken off just after the hour mark.

Savinho - 7

A first Premier League goal for Savinho earned City their first win in five games. But that he was the club's only significant summer signing has left them in a hugely difficult situation. A goal and assist will provide a platform for the Brazilian to improve, but his performances are not exactly on the same level as City's world-class wingers of the late 2010s and early 2020s. In a way, he typifies the club's regression.

Erling Haaland - 4

Guardiola clearly asked Haaland to be more involved when City have possession but that does not come naturally to the Norwegian. His late headed does not really cover over another hugely underwhelming performance which should concern his manager.

Substitutes

James McAtee - 7 (for Foden, '66)

McAtee replaced Foden and, worryingly for the more experienced star, the 22-year-old had much more of an impact on the game. His clever turn away from Victor Kristiansen and a speculative curling effort were key highlights of his cameo. One suspects McAtee believes he can win Foden's place.

Kyle Walker - 6 (for Ake, '70)

Walker still has plenty to contribute at City. He helped his side maintain a confidence-boosting clean sheet.

Player Ratings

GK - Stefan Ortega - 6.5/10
Extremely lucky to not have given away a penalty when he ran straight into an offside Jamie Vardy, but then made up for his eccentricity by keeping out the striker after a Gvardiol mistake.

RB - Rico Lewis - 7/10
Defensively static at times, as the Foxes made lightwork of their ability to bypass him and get into the final third. On the ball, this story was a bit different, as Lewis boasted a pass success rate of over 95%.

CB - Manuel Akanji - 7.5/10
Defensively, City's best player. He was very assured and organised the defence the best he could, though others around him weren't always as attentive to such simple instructions. He also stopped a certain goal from Justin with a goalline clearance.

CB - Nathan Ake - 7/10
His distribution was a key positive for City, as he often picked out Foden or Savinho on either flank with ease to get his teammates up the pitch quickly. But off the ball, he was sometimes a bit sluggish.

LB - Josko Gvardiol - 6.5/10
The Croatian international's weak header back towards goal almost led to a Leicester opener, and a theme grew over his inability to play in a back-three, as he is far more used to serving as a bombing left-wing-back.

CM - Kevin De Bruyne - 6/10
Created the first clear-cut opportunity of the match when his perfectly timed run from deep was matched with a cut-back to Haaland, which came to nothing. But apart from that, he wasn't as pivotal as you'd have thought before the match got underway, and it's clear he's past his prime by how quiet he was.

CM - Mateo Kovacic - 8/10
Played the Rodri role pretty well, as he stuck to the task of ensuring Leicester didn't find it too easy to get out of their own half. He also did well with a few powerful, Yaya Toure-esque runs forward, which would have gone down well with fans wishing for City to reclaim their magnum opus.

CM - Bernardo Silva - 7/10
A decent but quiet afternoon for the Portuguese fan favourite. Operated in tight spaces in classy fashion and was accurate with everything he did. Sound familiar? Yeah, thought so.

RW - Savinho - 8.5/10
Ran into the box, dancing through a crowd of Leicester defenders, before not having a clue what to do with the ball once he got close to goal in the opening two minutes. It summed up his season so far, but his 21st-minute opener will do his confidence a world of good before he also set up Haalnd's goal with a perfect cross.

ST - Erling Haaland - 7.5/10
Produced a weak attempt when given the chance to shoot at goal inside six yards early on, and struggled - yet again - to have a persistent impact on the play. There were glimmers of openings, though, and while his confidence looked shot dead for much of the match, his headed goal in the 73rd minute was instrumental to the victory.

LW - Phil Foden - 6/10
Nobody knew which Foden they were going to get today - last season's talisman or this season's uninspiring background character. The Englishman, sadly, continued to show little signs of rediscovering his fine form of yesteryear, although his rebounded snapshot led to the opener.

Sub - James McAtee - 7/10
Made himself at home with a needless and wreckless tackle inside the first minute of coming on. He soon found his feet, though, and it was a solid display from the youngster, who was eager to stamp his authority on proceedings.

Sub - Kyle Walker - 6/10
A solid performance, but there was not a lot to report on for the ageing right-back. He will just be happy knowing he didn't make a mistake for once.

Starting XI: Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic, De Bruyne ©, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Savinho.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega-Moreno — 6

The stand-in shot-stopper had very little to do, but the lack of a clean sheet knocks him down a peg.

Rico Lewis — 7

When in possession, Rico Lewis remains a real asset for Pep Guardiola, and his ability to zip the ball around kept Manchester City a threat on the edge of the West ham box.

Manuel Akanji — 6.5

Akanji, like his partner in the centre of defence is clearly still not fully-fit, but he is still a relatively solid presence in the rear-guard.

Nathan Ake — 6.5

Ake looks leggy, an unfamiliar site when it comes to the Dutchman, but in one-versus-one situations he showed that he is still a savvy operator.

Josko Gvardiol — 7

The Croatian was perhaps a bit less active in the attack than we are used to, but some of the mistakes we have seen in the past few weeks did seem to be cleaned up.

Mateo Kovacic — 6

To no fault of his own, Kovacic is a man isolated in the holding midfield role. The veteran midfielder is a true asset with legs around him, but struggled when it was his legs that needed to carry the load.

Bernardo Silva — 7

Silva has been quietly key in Manchester City’s recent purple patch, and his combination of control and energy helped moved City from defence to attack against the Hammers.

Kevin De Bruyne — 8

While his peak his clearly behind him, De Bruyne is still a magician on the ball and he showed that in important moments Saturday afternoon.

Phil Foden — 7

We’ve all been waiting for Foden to rediscover his goalscoring form, and while his second-half goal was a simple finish, it should go some way to igniting the mercurial attacker.

Savinho — 9 (MOTM)

The Brazilian’s emergence has been a breath of fresh air in recent weeks, and he popped up with a crucial assist after creating the first goal.

Erling Haaland — 9

The big Norwegian is beginning to show flashes of the unstoppable force we’ve seen in recent years. And after two more goals on Saturday, long it may continue!

Substitutes

Kyle Walker — 6

Had little to do after joining the fray.

Ilkay Gundgoan — 6

Like Walker before him, Gundogan was just making up the numbers once City had an unassailable lead.

James McAtee — 6

The youngster didn’t make quite the same impact as he did at the King Power, but he did look comfortable in the side.

Jack Grealish — 6

It was hard to get involved in a lifeless final 10 minutes, but he did not put a foot wrong.

Player Ratings

Ortega: Couldn't do much with the goal and made a few second-half saves to stop West Ham getting back into the game. 6

Lewis: Impressed as he pushed up the pitch while also keeping his defensive duties, including the inevitable switch to the left. 7

Akanji: Lucky boy to get a foul when Summerville would have been in on goal. More solid after the break. 6

Ake: The defence creaked and strained in the first half with the pace of Summerville and Kudus but Ake, replaced before the Hammers scored, walked off with a clean sheet. 6

Gvardiol: Better going forward than when he had to deal with Kudus, perhaps unsurprisingly. Signs of a good partnership with Savinho. 6

Kovacic: Careless with and without the ball, overhitting balls for teammates or gifting West Ham control with a chaotic pace. 5

De Bruyne: An assist on his 400th appearance but this wasn't a game he really took control of. 6

Silva: An important role in the middle to keep City pushing forward, linking well with De Bruyne and Savinho. 7

Foden: A goal to put some shine on another mixed performance. Some lovely movements and passes, some wayward stuff too. 6

Savinho: The star of the show with two assists for Haaland after he forced the first goal. He surely starts every big game in January. 9

Haaland: A header and then a nice clipped finish, as well as some lovely play to link up with his teammates. 8

Substitutes

Gundogan (for Kovacic, 61) Offered slightly more control than Kovacic. 6

Walker (for Ake, 61) Guardiola was not happy when the goal was scored from his side. 6

McAtee (for Savinho, 80) Pushed up once Haaland went off

Grealish (for Haaland, 84) Kept the ball well

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega (6/10):

Rarely tested until Fullkrug scored due to West Ham's wastefulness.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Looked far more comfortable and confident than in recent weeks, being resourceful and ambitious with the ball.

Manuel Akanji (5/10):

A little suspect in possession and looked vulnerable whenever West Ham broke. Fortunate the referee gave a foul when Crysencio Summerville dispossessed him by the halfway line.

Nathan Ake (6/10):

Strong and intelligent although he was taken off early as he still does not look fully fit.

Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

Didn't provide his usual attacking threat but looked more solid at the back, making an important early block on a shot from Mohammed Kudus.

Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

Not focused enough and gave the ball away on a couple of occasions to the fury of Guardiola, who removed him just after the hour mark.

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

Bright and creative, involved in all of City's best moves.

Kevin De Bruyne (7/10):

His fight and commitment pleased the crowd and he set up Foden's goal.

Phil Foden (6/10):

Another positive performance as he fuelled City's attacks with his long passes before scoring himself.

Erling Haaland (8/10):

How he must look forward to playing against West Ham. Their high-line plays to his strengths and he bullied their defenders in the air.

Savinho (9/10):

West Ham couldn't live with his pace and trickery on the left side and he now finally appears to be coming good.

Subs & Manager

Kyle Walker (5/10):

Could have done more to prevent the West Ham goal but also cut out an attack later on.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Gave City more calmness on the ball after replacing the erratic Kovacic.

James McAtee (N/A):

Introduced in the 80th minute.

Jack Grealish (N/A):

Brought on in the 84th.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

This was more of what he would have liked in attack although his team are not focused enough in defence. He made the right changes to ensure City did not relinquish their early advantage like they did against Everton.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega-6/10: Rarely called into action but did what he had to do. He’s getting better with his feet which stood out.

Rico Lewis-7/10: I thought Lewis played well. Did his job well and he never gives less than 100%.

Manuel Akanji-5.5/10: A sloppy performance from Akanji. Wasn’t at his best today and fortunately that didn’t cost his team.

Nathan Ake-7/10: Another good display from Ake. He’s working his way back to full fitness and another 60 minutes in his legs is a positive.

Josko Gvardiol-6.5/10: Mohammed Kudus have him a torrid time early but Gvardiol grew into the game. It wasn’t his best display but it was better than his recent performances.

Mateo Kovacic-6/10: Not at his best but he did make several driving runs from midfield. Substituted on the hour mark after picking up an early yellow card.

Kevin De Bruyne-7/10: Picked up an assist in his 400th Manchester City appearance. He did look to be moving better today which is a positive.

Bernardo Silva-7/10: Another busy performance from Bernardo. He did the grunt work which he does so well and some of his touches were sublime.

Savinho-10/10: A brilliant performance from the Brazilian. Had a hand in three of Manchester City’s goals and tormented the West Ham defence until he was substituted. His best performance for Manchester City.

Phil Foden-7.5/10: A much better performance from Foden. He grabbed a goal and played with more energy today.

Erling Haaland-8.5/10: Bagged a brace and played well again. He looks to be back to his best and has now scored 3 goals in his past two matches.

Substitutes

Ilkay Gundogan-5/10: Came on with the game already won. But didn’t offer a lot and his lack of legs in midfield stood out.

Kyle Walker-5/10: Same as Gundogan he came on with the game already won and didn’t really stand out after coming on.

James McAtee-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Jack Grealish-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Ilkay Gundogan has a high chance of making a summer transfer to Turkish giants Galatasaray

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