PREM: Leicester 2-1 Manchester City

Ricardo Pereira's late stunner gave Leicester a 2-1 victory

Manchester City fell seven points behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race as Ricardo Pereira's late stunner gave Leicester a 2-1 victory at the King Power Stadium.

The Portuguese defender fired brilliantly into the far corner from 20 yards from a cleared corner, meaning City have picked up just three points from their last four games.

They did take the lead through Bernardo Silva's seventh of the season after Sergio Aguero's deft pass (14), but Leicester levelled shortly after through Marc Albrighton's controlled header from Jamie Vardy's pinpoint delivery (19).

 

Then came Pereira's strike (81), before Fabian Delph was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Pereira (89), and with Liverpool beating Newcastle 4-0 and Tottenham defeating Bournemouth 5-0, the champions fell to third in the table. Leicester, meanwhile, are up to seventh.

Pep Guardiola's side were looking to bounce back following a 3-2 defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday, and seemed to revert to type as Silva put them ahead. Aymeric Laporte fizzed a ball into Aguero in a central position, and his threaded pass allowed Silva to tuck past Kasper Schmeichel from 10 yards.

 

But Leicester levelled just five minutes later with a fine move of their own as Vardy looked up on the left to curl a cross for Albrighton at the far post to head back where it came from and into the left corner.

 

There was a flurry of chances late in the half; Aguero hooked over from close range, Vardy saw a one-on-one effort blocked at his feet by Ederson after Danilo's wild backpass, before Hamza Choudhury's effort at the far post was just touched away to safety by the goalkeeper.

Manchester City had 68 per cent of possession in the second half but failed to create many clear-cut chances, as the Leicester defence and Harry Maguire, in particular, held firm superbly.

 

That gave the hosts the platform to break, and after Leroy Sane had cleared Albrighton's corner, Pereira hit a fierce first-time effort into the left corner through a crowd of players and past Ederson's grasp for the winner.

Manchester City pushed for a leveller, but their task was made harder as Delph's torrid day was rounded off by a late red, winning the ball in a challenge with Pereira, but leaving his studs in the defender's ankle.