LEICESTER, England: A stunning free kick from Kevin De Bruyne earned Manchester City a 1-0 victory at Leicester City on Saturday and moved the champions back to the top of the Premier League.
With scoring machine Erling Haaland missing a league match through injury for the first time since arriving at City, the visitors lacked a cutting edge in the first half, with Leicester containing them with ease.
It was clear it would take something special to unlock the determined hosts, with Belgian midfielder De Bruyne stepping up, firing an unstoppable free kick into the net four minutes after the break to put City in front.
Leicester responded well and had a chance to level through a stunning volley from Youri Tielemans, but City keeper Ederson brilliantly tipped the thunderbolt of a strike onto the crossbar.
The hosts kept coming, putting City under plenty of late pressure, but the champions held on to climb back to the top of the standings on 29 points, one clear of Arsenal who are at home to last-place Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Leicester remain two points clear of the drop zone with 11 points from 13 matches.
“The free kick went perfectly, luckily it’s 1-0,” De Bruyne told BT Sport after the match. “Ederson has been great, sometimes we only talk about his distribution but he’s a great keeper and he proves it every week.
“We have proved we can win with or without Erling Haaland.”
Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers could not hide his delight that Haaland, who has 17 league goals from just 11 starts this season, was missing.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sliding on my knees when I heard he wasn’t playing,” he said pre-match, before seeing his side keep City at bay in the opening period.
The hosts came into the contest on the back of three successive clean sheets, and restricted City to half-chances early on. With Bernardo Silva’s angled shot well saved, it was the champions’ only real opening of note before the break.
There was absolutely nothing anyone could have done to keep De Bruyne’s third league goal of the season out, however, as he curled an unstoppable free kick into the top corner.
City were comfortable in their lead and never looked in danger of suffering a second league loss of the season.
City have now kept a clean sheet in six of their 12 games this season, which is better than all other Premier League teams.