Frank Lampard scored City's winner in the 1-0 win at Leicester City's Filbert Street. The victory cam at a cost though with two more injuries to an already injury ravaged squad. Edin Dzeko pulled up in the warm-up and was replaced by 18-year-old Jose Pozo in the starting lineup. Captain Vincent Kompany then limped off in the second half with an apparent hamstring injury.

It was the bottom-of-the-table Leicester who had started the better with Esteban Cambiasso slicing off target and Jamie Vardy having a shot deflected wide off Mangala.

Then a 35-yard free kick from Cambiasso came close to catching out Joe Hart.

It took until 30th minute for City’s first chance when Pozo shot straight at Ben Hamer after David Silva’s free-kick had only been half-cleared.

Moments later Hamer, in the side for the injured Kasper Schmeichel, made a decent stop to keep out a Yaya Toure.

City finally took the lead on the 40th minute. Samir Nasri wriggled past Wes Morgan and pulled the ball back across the edge of the six-yard line for Lampard.

The pass was not inch-perfect but Lampard made it look so, scooping the ball from behind him to finish with typical clinical precision.

After the break the two defences continued to dominate the game and City stopper Joe Hart was rarely called into action as Leicester tried in vain to get back into the game.

City nearly went two up when Silva's flicked shot just missed the target from Nasri's cross.

Vardy then had a penalty appeal waved away as he went down under a challenge from Mangala.

Lampard was then withdrawn on the hour to be replaced by James Milner.

Pearson sent on top scorer Leonardo Ulloa. The former Brighton striker swivelled to shoot in the 80th minute, Kompany's replacement Martin Demichelis deflecting the effort wide with Hart wrong-footed, and the same player hooked a bouncing ball over in stoppage time as Manchester City hung on.

Photo: Action Images

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