Manchester City moved a step closer to regaining their Premier League crown after beating Leicester City 1-0 tonight at the Etihad.
Although Man City dominated tonight’s encounter, there was a tension in the air, and Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to play with their normal fluidity against a well-organised Foxes side.
However, with 20 minutes left on the clock City skipper Vincent Kompany stepped up to the plate and blasted a thunderous long-range strike into the top corner to send the Etihad into ecstasy.
City now know that a win in their final game of the season against Brighton will see them pip Liverpool to the title and regain their Premier League crown.
Speaking afterward City boss Pep Guardiola paid tribute to his team and especially to the matchwinner Kompany.
“An extraordinary goal, definitely. We played incredibly, I expected Leicester to be more offensive than in their last games, but they defend so deep,” Guardiola told the BBC.
http://gty.im/1147399000
”It was a more than decent first half but an outstanding second half knowing what we were playing for. I am sorry for many people, but still we are there.
“Kompany has been here more than 10 years and he has helped with an incredible generation of players like Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta, create with other players like Hart and Zabaleta, they create this club. Vincent when he stepped forward in the big moments, when he is fit is an incredible player.”
Guardiola also revealed in his post match press conference that he had been willing the Belgian centre-back not to shoot when he saw him winding up from long distance.
“I thought ‘don’t shoot’. He was smart. He didn’t follow my thoughts.”