Man City vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today
Follow all the fallout from the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City host Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon as part of the Premier League’s Boxing Day action.
With Covid hitting the schedule hard, Brendan Rodgers’ side face an uphill task to stop the defending champions.
With Pep Guardiola’s side hitting top form and with the opportunity to move six points clear at the top of the table, the Foxes will need to show immense character after a crushing penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. Leicester are ninth in the table and can close the gap on those above them in the European spots, with Tottenham in seventh just four points ahead.
City can make it eight straight domestic wins today as both Liverpool and Chelsea struggle to keep pace, with Bernardo Silva in scintillating form after inspiring another dominant win last time out against Newcastle. Guardiola has also urged supporters to continue doing their bit to ensure games do not return to behind closed doors, while also helping to ensure society is as safe as possible: “I want to trust the people who know and they say this is the safest way – take a vaccine. People don’t die when they take a vaccine. Wearing a mask is so important, like social distancing and hand sanitisers, so let’s try to do it. Otherwise, it may (come back) again and again and again.”
Follow all the post-match reaction from the Etihad Stadium and re-live goal updates from a Boxing Day thriller:
Aston Villa 1 - 2 Chelsea
62 mins: Mateo Kovacic is the third Chelsea susbstitution as he comes on to replace N’Golo Kante. It doesn’t look as though Kante has an injury so this may be a pre-planned rotational change.
Lukaku is dragged down by Mings just outside the Aston Villa box and Mings is shown a yellow card for the challenge. Mings has been poor since the restart. He’s not handling Lukaku well at all.
Aston Villa 1 - 2 Chelsea
59 mins: Close! Cash gets up the pitch on the inside right for Villa. He lifts a cross into the box and almost finds Ings who goes for the header but just misses the ball as it goes over his head. Pulisic is behind him and he works the ball clear for Chelsea.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1 - 2 Chelsea (Lukaku, 56’) ⚽️
56 mins: Lukaku scores for Chelsea! Fine work from Chelsea to take the lead. Jorginho brings the ball down the inside left and passes it out to Callum Hudson-Odoi on the wing. He whips a cross into the box as Lukaku nips in front of Mings, rolls off his shoulder and heads the ball into the back corner of the goal!
Aston Villa 1 - 1 Chelsea
54 mins: Thiago Silva hobbled around after his misplaced pass and signalled to the bench. He’s not comfortable out there and Thomas Tuchel brings on Andreas Christensen to replace the experienced defender.
Kante and Pulisic combine in the right side of the box but neither player can create enough space to get a shot off and Villa scramble the ball clear.
Aston Villa 1 - 1 Chelsea
51 mins: James plays the ball inside to Thiago Silva who attempts to float the ball over to Alonso on the left wing. He underhits his pass though and gives the ball away to Sanson. He immediately plays it forward for Danny Ings but the pass is too far away from the Aston Villa striker and he gives up the chase.
Aston Villa 1 - 1 Chelsea
48 mins: Trevoh Chalobah’s substitution has seen Reece James drop into a right centre-back role with Christian Pulisic taking over at wingback.
Antonio Rudiger whips a cross into the box from the inside left and aims for Lukaku. Martinez comes off his line and punches the ball off Lukaku’s nose and cleans Tyrone Mings out in the process.
Second half: Aston Villa 1 - 1 Chelsea
Kick off: Romelu Lukaku has been brought on by Thomas Tuchel with Trevoh Chalobah the man who’s gone off.Aston Villa get the match back underway and win a throw in over on the right wing.
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Aston Villa 1 - 1 Chelsea
Jorginho has scored nine penalties in the Premier League in 2021, the joint-most by a player in a single calendar year in the competition’s history, alongside Matt Le Tissier in 1994 and Steven Gerrard in 2014.
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