Unstoppable Robert Huth helps Foxes stun Manchester City

Despite what some fans and managers said, this game definitely felt important. Yes, there are thirteen more to follow, all equally tough. But whoever won this one could send out a message of intent for the title race and ensure Arsenal, probably watching, continue to feel the pressure. That message began from Leicester after just three minutes.

The feeling from Foxes fans in the build-up to the game was that although we obviously wanted our side to win, we’d have been incredibly happy to have left the Etihad with a point. It was the kind of game where the statistics really implied it might finish square too. Manchester City holding the best home away record this season, and Leicester with the best away record. We knew what we were up against and I think all, players included, expected Manchester City to come out the traps raring to go. It didn’t quite work out that way and an early free-kick for the away side saw Riyad Mahrez deliver a ball into the box that Robert Huth put past Joe Hart having broken away from his marker, Martin Demichelis. Cue the away end exploding in noise and excitement.

If anybody thought it was a dream and that they were still asleep on the coaches heading to Manchester, it was a good wake up call to be grabbed and hugged by strangers so early on. Though the statistics once again show a lack of possession on our side, what we did with it counted. Despite Manchester City trying to hit back in the first half, we dealt with most of it comfortably and Kasper Schmeichel didn’t have many saves to make. There were still worries for Leicester though, 1-0 never feeling like an entirely comfortable scoreline at the Etihad. Still, that’s how it was at the half-time point and as a Foxes fan, we were on cloud nine. We’d come out, shown no respect and hit the home side where it hurt.

As the second half kicked off, again, people expected the home side to try and put some control back into the game and to level it. Instead, Leicester picked up where they’d left off and a piece of individual brilliance from Mahrez finished off a great piece of teamwork and made it 2-0 just three minutes into the half. Again, the home side looked stunned and the away end erupted. You could tell how much it meant by the celebrations from the players, all bar Schmeichel (who had his own in front of the home fans) coming over to join in. It left no question over which set of players wanted it more.

I’m not sure I can recall the kind of scenes I witnessed, and joined in with, as Robert Huth made it 3-0 just twelve minutes later, again from a set piece. Christian Fuchs delivered a perfect corner and Huth’s towering header went into the top corner. Again he’d shaken Martin Demichelis who hadn’t learnt his lesson. Manchester City hadn’t really threatened the Foxes at that point in the second half and it looked worrying for the home side. The visitors were getting chance after chance to press, attack and shoot as the home side’s defensive frailties were on show again. Joe Hart tried his best to prevent a fourth, forced into making a great save to deny top-scorer Jamie Vardy.

Robert Huth has been a rock for Leicester since joining last January and alongside Wes Morgan have been the heart of our defence. While Morgan has a tendency to get a goal a season, neither really contributed last season though Leicester struggled for goals for the majority of the season anyway. This season with their performances at the back and contributions on the goal front, including another key goal last month away at Tottenham, it’s a throwback to one of our best partnerships from years past in Steve Walsh and Matt Elliott.

Leicester’s defensive unit take a lot of the credit for this victory. Though they didn’t get the clean sheet they deserved to go alongside their performance, they were strong and largely impenetrable throughout. While Huth and Morgan stood out, largely keeping Aguero and Sterling at bay, Danny Simpson and Christian Fuchs were good as ever. Simpson had a tough job having to deal with two players at most times, Aleksandar Kolarov allowed far too much space and time to come up and assist Delph and Sterling in attack. All four did their job well enough to ensure that Kasper Schmeichel didn’t have too much to do. However, when asked to step up, he did and made a good save at short range to deny the home side in the second half.

The other two players who were vital to Leicester taking home the three points were once again Danny Drinkwater and N'Golo Kante. For me, you’d be hard pressed to find a better central midfield partnership in the Premier League right now. Both were absolutely outstanding yesterday and controlled the middle of the park. Drinkwater stood out and received most of the praise with many non-Leicester fans also questioning how and why he still hasn’t been called up to the England squad yet. If his last two performances haven’t at least caught Roy Hodgson’s eyes then I’d be concerned. He’s the one making the late push for a spot in the Euros squad and Leicester are definitely seeing him at his best.

On Match of the Day, Alan Shearer talked about how he believes Mahrez has been without doubt the player of the season. It’s a valid opinion and you can see why he thinks it, but as a Leicester fan, I have to say that we’d probably go with Kante instead. At the heart of almost everything we do, regardless of which end of the pitch, he was incredible yesterday. He made more tackles, interceptions and clearances than any other Leicester play and got an assist to his name after a great run and through ball to Mahrez for our second.

If you wanted an example of one player that sums up Leicester’s drive, determination and energy, it’s Kante. On every part of the pitch yesterday, we looked like we wanted the ball more than the home players. I wondered if Manuel Pellegrini’s talk pre-match about how it wasn’t too important if they lost had affected them. Leicester did exactly what Foxes fans had hoped for, played our usual style. It was clearly something that the home fans admired too as many clapped us when we were 3-0 up, took their hats off to us (literally in the case of a guy near myself) and also applauded our players down the tunnel. It’s something I’ve not come across much from a set of home fans.

It’s been interesting to note just how good our away form has been this season. We’ve now picked up 28 points away from the King Power and still have the chance to make this our best ever season away from home. We’ve already won 8 and our record is 14, set both times under Nigel Pearson and in two season where we were champions, back in 08/09 when we won League one and 13/14 when we secured the Championship title. With just six away games left and our title chances looking at their strongest, is it an omen? It certainly makes us for some incredibly disappointing and long away days in the past without a win.

On the subject of support, I have to say that of all the away games I’ve attended, the atmosphere the Leicester fans created as up there with the best. Singing from minute one through to the end, and even down the street away from the stadium, it was spine-tingling. I was proud to be a Foxes fan at this game and I’ve not enjoyed an away trip as much for a long time. While the celebrations for these goals didn’t result in any injuries, they were certainly some of the best and I’m not sure when exactly I stopped smiling. Happy and dreamland are two words that don’t seem to be cutting it anymore for summarising how it feels to be a Leicester fan. To put it this way, what is happening right now at this football club is beyond my wildest expectations. Every fan dreams of seeing their side lift the Premier League trophy but until now it had never felt like a realistic possibility.

With Arsenal playing today, Leicester sit five points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the Premier League. Next weekend sees a trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal in what now looks an even bigger match than before. It will be the first time this season that we’re labelled title favourites and this brings it’s own version of pressure. That said, if you listen to the players and to Claudio Ranieri, they’re still talking themselves down and just focusing on what’s next. I can’t imagine they’ll be putting any pressure on themselves and there’s also no reason for us to fear this next game.

The club put a cherry on our cake last night, as if we weren’t already bouncing off the walls, with the news that Jamie Vardy has signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2019, putting to bed any rumours that he’ll leave. It really has been a weekend to remember!