Jack Grealish netted his first Premier League goal in nearly 16 months as Manchester City climbed to fourth place and pushed Leicester closer to relegation with a win at the Etihad Stadium.
City manager Pep Guardiola, watching from the stands due to a touchline ban, saw Grealish—making his first league start since December—capitalize on a second-minute cutback from Savinho to put his side ahead.
However, many City supporters missed the early goal as they staged a protest against expected season ticket price hikes and the club’s new commercial deal with ticket resale agency Viagogo.
The demonstration, which began outside the stadium 45 minutes before kickoff, saw a noticeable number of fans take their seats only after nine minutes—to symbolize the club’s nine global ticket partners.
Omar Marmoush, leading the City attack in Erling Haaland’s absence, doubled the lead before the half-hour mark. The Egyptian forward smashed a first-time effort in off the underside of the bar after Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen failed to deal with Ruben Dias’ chipped pass into the area.
Leicester’s struggles continue, with this latest defeat marking their 14th loss in 15 league matches. They remain 12 points adrift of safety with just eight games left to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
Their form has been historically poor—they have now lost seven consecutive league games without scoring, conceded the first goal in 25 of their 30 matches, and are yet to keep a clean sheet away from home.
Grealish’s Future in Question
Deployed in the number 10 role behind Marmoush, Grealish found intelligent pockets of space and was effective against a struggling Leicester side. However, it remains to be seen whether Guardiola’s selection was purely rotational ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash, where City will look to avenge December’s Manchester derby defeat.
Grealish, who has two years remaining on his contract, faces an uncertain future. Guardiola has frequently praised the form of Savinho and Jeremy Doku while also suggesting he expects more from Grealish—particularly in terms of goals.
Meanwhile, Marmoush’s £59m January switch from Eintracht Frankfurt continues to pay off. The 26-year-old has now scored five Premier League goals—all at home—and came close to adding a sixth, with one effort saved and another blocked by Leicester’s desperate defense.
In an otherwise uneventful second half, there was a welcome return for Norway international Oscar Bobb. The young midfielder, who suffered a fractured leg in preseason and later picked up an ankle injury in February, made his long-awaited comeback.
