Haaland scores twice as three goals in 25 minutes ends the contest and moves City to within three points of Arsenal at top of the table.
Jamie Jackson’s report is up and as he says, “Manchester did what they desired” but it wasn’t as straight forward as that (despite the straight forward nature of the win).
Confused? Well, have a read of the report and see what I mean.
With that I’ll sign off. Thanks everyone for joining me. And for setting me straight in the difference between volleys, half volleys and, as one reader offered, the ‘Martin Luther King’ shots.
Cheers. See you soon.
Yash Gupta sees my claims of one-sidedness and lays down a counter argument:
“One sided you say, definitely you missed 90% of first half performances by Spurs. As for remaining 10%, you need to watch second half in those matches.”
Get a load of this. Leicester’s xG was higher than City’s! They also had only four less touches in the attacking box than City.
Can I nominate this as the most nervy one-sided game of all time?
What is a volley? Steve Wilson has directed me to the Guardian’s own take by Rob Smyth.
John Cartmell from Oregon where he coaches kids play “soccer” says that even his youngsters know the difference between a volley and a half-volley. Meeow!
William Barclay is on team “half-volley” though says he “half” agrees with me. I’ll take that.
Alun Williams is sympathetic and says that “Rugby complicates it further, I think: a drop goal has to be the half-volley (I think).”
This from Shane OLeary feels as definitive as anything I’ve received:
“A ‘volley’ is when the object, be it a Bee, a ball or a falling crumpet, is struck before it touches the ground.
Once the object has rebounded (bounced) from the ground on the first occasion the subsequent strike is known as a ‘Half Volley’.
After the object has rebounded twice, or more it is known as a ‘shot’.
Hope that helps.”
Certainly does, Shane. Thanks to everyone else as well.
“I’ve heard of ‘new manager bounce’ but predictably, Haaland and his fellow humanoid footballers have instead ensured that the new manager is bounced. Hard.”
And with a loud THUNK, eh, Peter Oh?
That was one-sided. But it was also a nervy finish as Leicester hit the post, had a penalty shout turned down and saw Ederson save twice from close range.
Still, a first half blitz with Haaland scoring twice after Stones swept home a bouncing ball meant the champions could cruise for the rest of the game in second gear.
City now within three points of Arsenal who just happen to be their next Premier League opponents. Leicester now in even more trouble as they remain 19th.
Reaction to come.
90+2 min: Haaland named player of the match (again).
90+1 min: Iheanacho has hit the post! Maddison’s ball from the right is outrageous. He finds Iheanacho through a crowd and the striker takes a first time shot that is struck well along the ground and pings back off the far post. How unlucky!
90 min: Three minutes of added time to come..
That is a tackle made by a frustrated player. High knee on Alvarez and that’s a clear booking.
86 min: Ndidi is off for Daka but that’s not the talking point. Maddison ought to have made Ederson work harder than that. And when you factor in the golden opportunity for Praet earlier, this could have gone pear shaped for City.
85 min: OH! Big chance! Could be 3-2 as a mistake from City allows Maddison to run through on goal. He delays before shooting, perhaps conscious that he had support in the box. Instead he scuffs the shot and Ederson saves with his foot. Corner and that also provides a goal scoring opportunity. A header Soyuncu is blocked.
84 min: Leicester go route one in search of Maddison. It’s easily dealt with by City. Hard to offer advice from here but I don’t think that’ll work.
82 min: Bernardo Silva has taken control of things these past few minutes. Simple passes and pulling players into position. A ball over the top to Walker on the overlap down the right can’t find his run. Leicester then go up the field and win a throw in. Eight minutes to go before the full 90. Can Leicester nick another?
81 min: Suddenly City are passing with the same urgency that they displayed in the first half. That Leicester goal has spooked them into life.
79 min: Leicester are really make a game of this. Iheanacho dribbles and shoots. It’s high over the bar but he did really well to wriggle the space for himself after collecting a fizzing forward pass.
78 min: The cameras cut to an irate Pep. He won’t be happy with the way his team has switched off. Tell you what, one more goal for Leicester and we could have a grandstand finish.
77 min: Leicester are giving it a go. Iheanacho lets fly from an outrageous distance. He’s offside but that shows his gumption.
A tap in for the substitute after Souttar’s header is saved by Edersen but rebounded to the Nigerian. Let’s not call it a comeback just yet, but that’s something for the Foxes to cling to.
73 min: No goal for Grealish as he applauds the fans and makes his way off the field for Sergio Gomez. Well played Jack.
71 min: Should be 3-1. Praet has a free shot inside the City box and simply taps it rather than hammer what looked like a gimme,. Brilliant break down the right that ended in a cut back inside the box. What a waste of their best chance.
70 min: 20 minutes left in what is becoming an increasingly boring spectacle. I don’t blame the players. City have no obligation to hurl themselves and risk injury for another goal and Leicester just aren’t good enough to do anything about this. Credit to the crowd who are doing the Poznan.
Hello Daniel,
A short comment from sunny Brussels: here, and in amateur football, a volley like the one you describe is called a Martin Luther King.
As in “I had a dream ….”
No notes, Juan Arcas. From here on, I’ll describe shots from balls that have already bounced but are most definitely not half-volleys in this manner.
Though before I do, I have to ask how you stumbled on that name?
68 min: Walker wins a corner. He’s been sharp but that lack of penetration might hurt his chances of starting important games for the rest of the season. Grealish has a shot blocked from Souttar.
66 min: More of the same but to their credit City are still pressing hard and fast without the ball. They steal the ball back inside Leicester’s half and build again. Palmer taking up a central position in midfield. He looks confident on the ball. To be fair, I could probably play in midfield for City today.
(I said probably)
“You keep saying city are in an exhibition match, but is that easier than a pre season against non leaguers? What about an end of season dead rubber? I mean you’d think a testimonial would be easiest but I’ve seen some obscene efforts in them.
We need a ratings system. Lead the charge.”
I love this from Mark Lepine. I don’t quite know. Surely a dead rubber is more competitive? Any help?
63 min: They’re all lining up to shoot now. Grealish can’t quite work the space inside the D so recycles it instead. What’s more pedestrian than an exhibition match?
61 min: That’s the end of Du Bruyne’s afternoon. Youngster Cole Palmer enters the scene.
Leicester also make a change with both Tielemans and Dewsbury-Hall making way for Nampalys Mendy and Dennis Praet.
60 min: A short corner to Grealish is swiflty shifted to Mahrez who runs onto the ball and shoots first time with his left from outside the area. It’s curling into the top corner but Iversen does well to tip it over the bar.
“Agreed about volleys, but isn’t a half-volley when the ball’s struck just as it bounces (similar to a drop out or drop goal in rugby)?”
100% Geoff Wignall. Which is why it needs another name.
“Hello Daniel,”
Hi Geoff Wignall
“Sounds like the archetypal City performance today: including having 75% possession yet still managing to commit 75% of the fouls. It’s always been a real characteristic of a Guardiola team.”
Great shout. And you’re right. It’s that tenacity off the ball that deserves just as much credit for the magic they produce with it.
57 min: Grealish is having a great game. Here he weaves through four defenders covering 20m before he’s fouled. He might have released the ball sooner though as there was an overlap forming down the right. Still. It’s a City free kick. Too far out to shoot. Too straight to dink into the box. Decisions for De Bruyne.