Leicester City 1 Manchester City 3
The Manchester City goal machine rolls on. On a night when Leicester City supporters were treated to a performance from the X Factor winner Sam Bailey at half-time, it was Manuel Pellegrini's side that hit all the right notes on the pitch, as a superb free-kick from Aleksandar Kolarov and two goals from Edin Dzeko sealed their passage into the League One Cup semi-finals and took the club's tally for the season to a staggering 75 goals from 25 games.
Although Lloyd Dyer pulled a goal back for Leicester 13 minutes from time, any hopes that the Championship club had of causing an upset had long been extinguished. Dzeko's second goal, eight minutes after the restart, put the Premier League club 3-0 up on the night, after which they became a little complacent, giving Leicester the encouragement to believe that they could finish with something to show for their efforts.
Scored nine times
If Dzeko's opportunist goals were a highlight for City – the Bosnian has now scored nine times this season and he may sense a chance to get a rare run in the team with Sergio Aguero sidelined for a month with a calf injury – the downside for Pellegrini was the sight of Pablo Zabaleta leaving the pitch with a suspected pulled hamstring in the early moments.
City now have a problem in the right-back spot ahead of the demanding festive programme.
Otherwise this was a routine win for a Manchester City team playing with supreme confidence and, once again, provided a demonstration of the remarkable depth in Pellegrini’s squad. For Leicester, there was certainly no disgrace in losing to a weakened City team that was arguably stronger than the side that won 3-2 at Bayern Munich last week.
Keeping this City side at bay was never going to be easy but Leicester might have hoped to hold out for longer than eight minutes. The opening goal, however, was an absolute beauty, Kolarov’s left boot deliciously curling the ball past Kasper Schmeichel and into the top corner from 25 yards. The only surprise was that it was not until four minutes before the interval that the visitors added a second goal, through Dzeko.
Leicester, to their credit, had refused to let the early concession shake their belief. Nigel Pearson's side showed plenty of energy and desire without ever really troubling Joe Hart during an opening 45 minutes when the gulf in class was hardly surprising.
Made eight changes
Pellegrini is clearly taking this competition seriously. The Manchester City manager made eight changes to the side that thumped six past Arsenal on Saturday but this was still a strong starting XI, with Vincent Kompany captaining the team and David Silva operating behind Dzeko.
Zabaleta was the other City player to retain his place from the Arsenal side but the right-back lasted only 11 minutes. Dzeko’s raking pass invited him to break forward on the right but, in a chase with Lloyd Dyer, the Argentinian pulled up, clutching his hamstring. With Micah Richards sidelined with the same problem after breaking down in Munich last week, Zabaleta’s was an injury that Pellegrini could have done without.
Dzeko may have sensed it was not going to be his night when his vicious left-footed shot skimmed the outside of the upright but the striker had the goal he deserved. Jesus Navas, who had been booked earlier on for a cynical foul on Dyer, released James Milner and the England midfielder’s deflected cross was headed in from inside the six-yard box.
Shortly after the restart Dzeko had his second after nonchalantly side-footing inside the near post from about 12 yards.
Leicester continued to press and their persistence was rewarded 14 minutes from time when Dyer drilled a low angled shot that deflected off Kompany and beyond Hart.
Guardian Service
