EPL: Grealish and Marmoush on Target as Manchester City Beat Leicester

Manchester City returned to winning ways in the Premier League, defeating Leicester City 2-0 and deepening the Foxes' relegation worries.

Manchester City extended their impressive run against newly-promoted Premier League sides, securing a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium. This win marked City's 13th consecutive success against teams that have earned promotion to the Premier League. As a result, Manchester City climbed into the top four of the league standings.

Manchester City carried the momentum from their recent FA Cup win over Bournemouth into this match, making a strong start against Leicester. Just two minutes into the game, Jérémy Doku expertly intercepted a pass in midfield before releasing the ball to Savinho. Savinho then delivered a precise cross into the box, which Jack Grealish expertly guided into the bottom corner with a delicate touch. This goal marked Grealish's first Premier League strike since December 2023.

Leicester's only attempt on goal in the entire match came from Bilal El Khannouss, but unfortunately for the visitors, he dragged his shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box. This missed opportunity would prove costly, as Manchester City went on to double their lead later in the half.

Manchester City's second goal arrived in the 30th minute, courtesy of Omar Marmoush. Filling in for the injured Erling Haaland, Marmoush capitalized on a moment of poor goalkeeping from Mads Hermansen. The Egyptian striker lashed the ball off the crossbar and into an unguarded net, scoring his fifth first-half league goal since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt. Hermansen made amends for his error by producing a spectacular save to deny Savinho's close-range strike, ensuring the deficit remained at two goals as the teams headed into the second half.

Despite being two goals ahead, Manchester City continued to push for a third goal to put the game beyond Leicester's reach. Omar Marmoush came close to doubling his tally just before the hour mark, as a beautifully crafted passing move ended with him in the area. However, Marmoush could only place the ball over the bar, missing the opportunity to extend City's lead.

☝️ Jack Grealish's first goal since December 2023
✋ Omar Marmoush's fifth Premier League strike
✅ Man City back to winning ways pic.twitter.com/Ih6iP9MeTb

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 2, 2025

Manchester City maintained their grip on the match, dominating possession throughout, but struggled to find a cutting edge in the second half. Despite recording only one shot on target during this period, City's first-half efforts proved sufficient to secure the three points.

The victory marked a welcome return to winning ways for Pep Guardiola's side, who had gone two league matches without a win. Additionally, the match saw the long-awaited return of Oscar Bobb from a lengthy injury layoff. In contrast, Leicester's woes continued, as they became only the fourth team in English top-flight history to lose seven consecutive matches without scoring. This dismal run has left Leicester rooted in the bottom three, facing a increasingly likely relegation.