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Boxing Day Classics

Boxing Day Classics
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Manchester City and Leicester City played out an instant Premier League classic back in 2021 as Pep Guardiola’s men aimed to take a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table heading into 2022.

City were also already the reigning champions of England with the Foxes struggling for form in the first half of the season, despite impressing so much the year prior.

What made this game so sensational was the incredible and unlikely late attempt at a comeback from a Leicester team that were battered from pillar to post in the first half.

Kevin De Bruyne opened up the scoring early on for the Premier League champions, and when City take a lead so early on, it usually only means one thing: a convincing win.

The Belgian’s finish after five minutes was met with a Riyad Mahrez penalty just nine minutes later, and the Foxes fans must have thought they were in for an incredibly long Boxing Day afternoon.

Ilkay Gundogan made it three to rub salt in the wounds after 21 minutes and it seemed as if this could look more like a rugby scoreline.

Raheem Sterling would then add City's fourth just four minutes later and with the scoreline now at 4-0 before 30 minutes had even past in the game, fans of the travelling faithful began to head home early and left the Etihad feeling more miserable than Scrooge himself.

However, those who stayed were treated to a stunning second half of football, even more so eye-catching than the first 45.

James Maddison netted a fantastic goal for Leicester 10 minutes into the second half, but even this gave fans very little hope of a comeback.

Ademola Lookman scored just three minutes later and it felt as if Leicester came out swinging and fully motivated, but still, there was little hope of the Foxes getting anything out of the game.

Stunningly, it was then the turn of former City man, Kelechi Iheanacho, to take the headlines all to himself. The Nigerian scored Leicester's third of the day to bring it to 4-3, as Brendan Rodgers' men netted three goals inside 10 minutes.

A fourth, however, was too much for the away side, and Aymeric Laporte’s goal just three minutes after Iheanacho’s goal ended hopes once again.

Leicester still went at the champions and gave it their all, but a second goal from Sterling three minutes before time sealed a 6-3 win for City and eased all the fears around the home of the Premier League champions.

Premier League
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
Manchester City 88 37 27 7 3 60
2
Arsenal 86 37 27 5 5 61
3
Liverpool 79 37 23 10 4 43
4
Aston Villa 68 37 20 8 9 20
5
Tottenham 63 37 19 6 12 10
6
Chelsea 60 37 17 9 11 13
7
Newcastle United 57 37 17 6 14 21
8
Manchester United 57 37 17 6 14 -3
9
West Ham 52 37 14 10 13 -12
10
Brighton 48 37 12 12 13 -5
11
Bournemouth 48 37 13 9 15 -12
12
Crystal Palace 46 37 12 10 15 -6
13
Wolverhampton 46 37 13 7 17 -13
14
Fulham 44 37 12 8 17 -8
15
Everton 40 37 13 9 15 -10
16
Brentford 39 37 10 9 18 -7
17
Nottingham Forest 29 37 8 9 20 -19
18
Luton Town 26 37 6 8 23 -31
19
Burnley 24 37 5 9 23 -36
20
Sheffield United 16 37 3 7 27 -66

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