Vincent Kompany thunderbolt sends Manchester City back above Liverpool

Vincent Kompany’s thunderous strike gave Manchester City a huge victory over Leicester City in the race for the Premier League title.

The City skipper broke the deadlock midway through the second half with a 25-yard screamer, which means City lead Liverpool by one point going into the final game of the season at Brighton.

It had been a nervy evening for the champions prior to that strike and Kelechi Iheanacho passed up a great opportunity to equalise at the death, but their inspirational captain stepped up to send the Etihad wild.

After a fast City start, Leicester carved open the first real opportunity. Skipper Vincent Kompany threw his body in front of a goal bound Ricardo Pereira shot.

Phil Foden, trusted from the start by Pep Guardiola, saw a half-volley fly straight at Kasper Schmeichel as the Etihad crowd showed their early nerves, even if Man City dominated possession.

Shortly after the half-hour mark Man City were inches from opening the scoring. Aguero crept in at the back post and met a corner with his head, only to see it hit the bar and Schmeichel somehow claw away the ball as it bounced down onto the line.

Ilkay Gundogan and Bernado Silva both tested the Foxes keeper from range before half-time, but it was after the break when City really looked like opening the scoring.

The usually reliable Raheem Sterling missed the first opportunity, heading over the bar when unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.

He went close again, as did Gundogan, before Mike Dean waved away penalty claims as Sterling went down under a challenge from Hamza Choudhury. A quite fantastic break from Harry Maguire resulted in James Maddison bending an effort just wide of Ederson’s post – a reminder of the threat Leicester still posed.

As the tension in the Etihad rose, Man City’s long-serving skipper stepped up and delivered the sort of goal you’d expect from just about anyone else in Guardiola’s side. Leicester players gave the centre-back space, not expecting him to shoot from 25-yards.

But Kompany did and sent a bullet into the top corner to send the majority of the stadium wild. A strike that will be remembered for years.

Although the result was not a formality with 20 minutes still remaining, City have shown they can close out a game this season and barring one huge chance for Kelechi Iheanacho, who scuffed his shot well wide with five minutes remaining, did so.

They now know victory at Brighton on Sunday will see them retain the Premier League title and deny Liverpool a first title since 1990.