Many questioned where Manchester City`s goals would come from with Erling Haaland sidelined. Few would have guessed Jack Grealish would be the answer.
Prior to last night`s match, Grealish, the £100 million signing, hadn`t scored in the Premier League since December 2023.
Grealish has struggled for consistent game time and form since Manchester City`s treble win nearly two years ago.
However, he received a rare start, his seventh of the season, as Pep Guardiola sought a way to defeat Leicester without the injured Haaland, who has scored 30 goals this season.
And Grealish repaid that confidence within the first two minutes.
Many City fans protested the club`s ticketing policies by remaining outside the stadium until the ninth minute.
The visible empty seats served as a strong statement, but those fans unfortunately missed Grealish`s early goal.
Grealish remains a popular player among City supporters despite a challenging couple of years.
The fans in their seats cheered as he converted Savinho`s cutback from 12 yards.
Guardiola, serving a touchline ban, watched from the stands after receiving a yellow card in the previous game.
He boosted Grealish’s confidence by starting him centrally, ahead of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, a decision that quickly proved fruitful.
For Leicester fans, it was another familiar disappointment. They have now conceded the first goal in 25 of their 30 Premier League matches this season.
This is a new league record, with eight games still remaining.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team continues to make things difficult for themselves, and even against a less dominant City side, a comeback seemed unlikely.
Leicester came close to equalizing when Bilal El Khannouss`s shot narrowly missed the post.
Just before the half-hour mark, City extended their lead due to a Leicester error.
A long ball from Ruben Dias bounced awkwardly in front of Leicester goalkeeper Hermansen.
Defender Wout Faes hesitated, and Hermansen fumbled the ball, spilling it to Marmoush, who powerfully shot under the crossbar.
Marmoush`s goal marked his 39th goal contribution in 38 appearances this season for City and his former club Eintracht Frankfurt.
He proved to be a valuable option in Haaland`s absence.
Marmoush nearly scored again from Savinho`s cross, but his shot was blocked by Faes.
Hermansen partially redeemed himself by tipping Savinho`s shot over the bar.
Guardiola communicated with his assistant Juanma Lillo from the stands, likely urging him to secure a third goal before shifting focus to Sunday`s derby against Manchester United.
The derby will undoubtedly be a tougher challenge than facing Van Nistelrooy`s Leicester.
Despite City`s dominance in possession, they struggled to create further clear chances, with Marmoush missing a chance to extend the lead.
