Six Classic Foxes Wins Over Man City
While the Manchester club have gone on to regularly lift the Premier League title over recent campaigns, that has not stopped the Foxes from enjoying several landmark victories over them, most recently in August, when Leicester lifted the Club's second FA Community Shield at Wembley.
Ahead of Saturday's Premier League encounter, a 3pm BST kick-off on Filbert Way, we wind back the clock to remember six iconic clashes with the the seven-time champions...
Dickov returns to haunt the Citizens
Leicester City pulled themselves out of the Premier League bottom three with a stunning 3-0 away victory over Manchester City in November 2003. While the Citizens were not quite the force they are today, Leicester, under Micky Adams, were already fighting for survival at the wrong end of the top flight table.
However, a comprehensive first away win of the season, and a second success on the bounce, was masterminded thanks to goals from Jordan Stewart, Paul Dickov and Marcus Bent.
Despite a strong start from the home side, with Joey Barton forcing a save out of Ian Walker, it was the Foxes who opened the scoring via Stewart's powerful strike just 12 minutes in. The midfielder was allowed time and space to move forward, managing to curl a shot into the net from 20 yards out.
Several chances came and went for Kevin Keegan's home side before Sylvain Distin brought down Dickov in the penalty area. The former Man City striker dusted himself down to step up and slot the ball home seven minutes after the break.
The three points were wrapped up before the hour mark when Bent headed in Muzzy Izzet's pinpoint cross, giving the home side's debutant goalkeeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard no chance.
At the other end, Nicolas Anelka continued to probe for a consolation but Leicester's defence was not to be beaten, maintaining a second consecutive clean sheet. The Foxes were relegated at the end of the season, while Manchester City would survive, finishing in 16th, eight points above the drop zone.
The title charge gathers steam
Coming less than two years since the Club's promotion to the Premier League, after 10 years away, Leicester City's stunning 3-1 win at Manchester City on 6 February, 2016 remains one of the most memorable afternoons in the history of the Foxes.
It came amid the backdrop of perhaps the most unlikely Premier League title hunt in history, as Leicester went about proving their doubters wrong in spectacular fashion.
They turned up at Etihad Stadium boosted by an excellent 2-0 victory over Liverpool at King Power Stadium, but the trip to Manchester City was even more daunting for Leicester.
The Blue Army were hopeful, of course, but any pre-match nerves were quickly replaced by disbelief when Robert Huth's close-range finish put them ahead inside three minutes.
It was a lead City doubled shortly after the interval. N'Golo Kanté's pass was perfect for Riyad Mahrez and the Algerian did the rest, dancing into the area past Nicolás Otamendi and Martín Demichelis and finishing well.
Another Huth goal, a looping header over Joe Hart, made sure Sergio Agüero's late strike caused little concern, as Leicester started to believe. In May, they lifted the trophy.
Vardy's hat-trick stuns Guardiola's Man City
Jamie Vardy netted his first Premier League hat-trick as the Foxes sealed a dominant 4-2 victory over Pep Guardiola's men at King Power Stadium in December 2016.
Leicester were the reigning champions, but Guardiola's men had already started to adapt to the Spaniard's methods following his appointment in the summer.
Claudio Ranieri's outfit were at their scintillating best on a chilly, rain-soaked evening on Filbert Way to seal a morale-boosting three points which propelled them up the table. Inside just three minutes, new signing Islam Slimani slid in a pass to Vardy, who finished well, before a stunner from Andy King.
It was 3-0 after just 20 minutes, meanwhile, as Christian Fuchs' long ball was taken down sumptuously by Riyad Mahrez, who played in Vardy to skip past Claudio Bravo and finish.
The former Fleetwood striker's hat-trick was complete with 12 minutes to play, skipping inside his man to convert from the tightest of margins, and needing goal line technology to conform.
While Aleksandar Kolarov and Nolito got two late efforts back for Man City, the Foxes were out of sight, allowing Ranieri to hail an outstanding performance from 'the true Leicester'.
"It was the true Leicester, maybe because we have played so badly in our last few matches, but today we were so strong," he said. "We played smart, slowed down the tempo. I am very pleased for Jamie. When we finished, I said: 'welcome back!'"
Winning a Boxing Day bout on Filbert Way
Leicester City emerged from a breathless King Power Stadium thriller with a 2-1 victory over Premier League champions Manchester City on Boxing Day in 2018.
Following a 1-0 success at Chelsea just days earlier, the Foxes recovered from Bernardo Silva's 14th-minute opener to secure their eighth top flight victory of the 2018/19 season. A pinpoint header from Marc Albrighton, following an inch-perfect pass from Jamie Vardy, restored parity on the scoresheet.
Leicester were relentless in their search for another and they were unlucky not to complete the turnaround sooner, but Ricardo Pereira’s 81st-minute winner was worth the wait.
In front of a capacity crowd, the 25-year-old lashed home a cleared Albrighton corner to settle a fascinating encounter before Fabian Delph was dismissed for the visitors in the 89th minute.
"Three points and another good performance, another [example of] togetherness so I am very happy, it was fantastic," manager Claude Puel told LCFC TV at full-time. "We were fantastic with our mentality after our game against City in the League Cup (a shootout defeat in the Carabao Cup) and Chelsea.
"We kept a good organisation against this team and I think this last set-piece was for us with a fantastic shot from Ricky (Ricardo). It was deserved by all the team because we made a fantastic work on the pitch with the right mentality, a positive attitude."
Vardy’s hat-trick & a Maddison rocket
A sensational hat-trick from Jamie Vardy saw the Foxes defeat Man City 5-2 in the Premier League following a brilliant display at Etihad Stadium behind closed doors, due to COVID-19, in September 2020.
Man City had initially taken the lead through Riyad Mahrez, but a Vardy treble, James Maddison's exceptional goal and a Youri Tielemans penalty meant City, for the first time in their history, made it three wins from three at the start of a top-flight season.
The hosts started with significant intent, and led after just four minutes. James Justin initially cleared the corner, but former Fox Mahrez’s first-time half-volley flew into the top corner of the net.
Then came a frenetic few minutes. Rodri had a goal disallowed for offside, before the Foxes raced up the other end and won a penalty. Harvey Barnes found Vardy, who was tripped by Kyle Walker, and the No.9 coolly fired into the top corner past Ederson for 1-1 – his third spot-kick of 2020/21.
After the interval, efforts from Kevin de Bruyne and Mahrez followed, but it was City who next struck. Timothy Castagne sprinted into a pocket of space and pulled it back to Vardy, whose beautiful flick at the front post made it 2-1.
After Çağlar Söyüncü had a penalty appeal turned down, City were awarded one shortly after when Vardy was fouled by Garcia. This time, Vardy went low to Ederson’s left, as he completed his hat-trick from the spot and took his 2020/21 tally to five goals in three Premier League appearances.
City weren’t finished there, though. Substitute Maddison drifted in from the left wing before unleashing an unstoppable, curling strike over Ederson and into the top corner to extend the visiting outfit’s advantage with 13 minutes to go before a penalty - converted by Tielemans - made it 5-2.
Winning the Community Shield at Wembley
Brendan Rodgers' men claimed their second piece of silverware in the space of only four months after the 2020/21 Emirates FA Cup winners beat Premier League champions Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in August to lift their second FA Community Shield.
USA international Zack Steffen stopped a low Jamie Vardy effort on 18 minutes, while Riyad Mahrez then flew down the right flank, only to meet Çağlar Söyüncü, who stood in his way to halt the Algeria winger's advances.
As a sudden but temporary downfall swept over the national stadium, Joāo Cancelo dragged wide and Gündogan sent a shot over Kasper Schmeichel's crossbar before Steffen tipped Vardy's half-volley onto the upright with an excellent point-blank stop at the end of goalless opening 45 minutes in the capital.
In the final 10 minutes, the Foxes recovered possession of the ball on numerous occasions, one of which led to Zambia striker Patson Daka only just being beaten to the ball by the onrushing Steffen, who denied him a winner at Wembley.
However, a defensive mix up with only three minutes of normal time remaining handed City the opportunity to win the match, as Nathan Aké tripped substitute Kelechi Iheanacho in the box and Rodgers' side were awarded a penalty. It was, indeed, the Nigeria frontman who would take the spot-kick, dispatching it into the corner to hand his side a late lead.
"It’s a great stadium to come and play in, but it can tire your legs out, especially when there’s something to play for, but the players were superb," Rodgers said at full-time. "The spirit was really good and some of the quality of the football was excellent at times.
"It’s very important [to win]. I grew up watching the Charity Shield. It's the winners of the league and the cup, so to come here, it’s another step for the mentality of the team and we’re delighted."