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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Marc Mayo

Man City 6-3 Leicester: Foxes’ hopes of a mammoth comeback dashed after rallying from four goals down

Leicester fell agonisingly short of a monumental comeback against leaders Manchester City on Boxing Day - losing 6-3 having fought back from four goals down.

Pep Guardiola’s side showed no sign of a Christmas hangover by racing into a huge early lead, the first goal coming courtesy of Kevin De Bruyne after only five minutes.

Ilkay Gundogan added another in between penalties from Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling to bulk out City’s lead to 4-0 by 25 minutes.

Leicester survived further punishment until the break and came out much improved in the second-half. James Maddison slotted home on the break before Ademola Lookman quietened the Etihad crowd with a second, on 59 minutes.

Moments later, former Citizens striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who had created the other two goals, buried an effort of his own after Maddison hit the crossbar.

Alas, City were able to pull clear late on with Aymeric Laporte heading in a Mahrez corner and shutting down the leaders’ fears of their three-point gap to Liverpool being closed up.

Sterling made it 6-3 on 87 minutes, again from a corner following Ruben Dias’ knockdown.

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