Pep Guardiola celebrated his 500th game in charge of Manchester City with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Leicester.
City moved back into the top five with the win after recording just one in their last nine Premier League outings before this encounter, while the Foxes remain in the bottom three with a fourth defeat on the bounce.
Savinho's introduction and first Premier League goal settled Man City's nerves early on, but it was far from convincing in the first half.
Jamie Vardy called for a penalty, which looked certain to be awarded after he was brought down by Stefan Ortega, and it was disallowed for an offside flag, before James Justin's header hit the post just before the break.
City weathered the storm after the restart as Leicester continued to push for an equalizer and Vardy went close from close range for Erling Haaland to score his first goal in just under a month after rising highest to Savinho's cross on the counter with 15 minutes to go.
A much-needed win for Guardiola and his players, although they still looked a shadow of the team we've grown accustomed to seeing over the past 500 games.
Guardiola: No enjoyment, only relief
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to Sky Sports:
“Our mood is in a better position. It was close in the second half, they were much better. We don't have the energy to last 90 minutes. Hopefully the new year will help us bounce back.
“To get results you have to do something. To do it in the position we have, a lot of good things happened today. It's not pleasant right now, it's just a relief. We've done amazing things for many years.
“Not the best.”
Savinho celebrates with his teammates after giving Manchester City a first-half lead at Leicester
Haaland: The goal was a relief after a difficult time
Manchester City attacker Erling Haaland speaking to Sky Sports:
“It's good to win. I'm just happy we're winning. It's important to look forward. We have to focus on the right things.
“It's always a relief when you score a goal. It was an important goal to make it 2-0. Leicester played very well, we knew it was going to be difficult. It was a difficult time.
“It's the New Year now, so let's not think too much about football! We can rest a bit and then do it again.”
City won – but they are far from behind
Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe:
“Man City will be back,” Guardiola said confidently ahead of his 500th game.
His team managed to secure all three points in the afternoon, but the performance was far from convincing.
Leicester did enough to win this game. After hitting the post, seeing a penalty disallowed for an offside flag and a shot from the line, Man City again tempted fate and could easily have come away with nothing.
Haaland's return to goals and Kevin De Bruyne playing 90 minutes are both positives – but City will need to improve on all fronts if they are to build on this win in the new year – and nobody is more aware of that than Guardiola himself.
“Erling broke his moment and Kevin came back, one step at a time,” he said. “One step at a time.”
Van Nistelrooy: We have a foundation to build on
Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy:
“It hurts a little because of the performance. We have invested a lot to achieve results in a certain way.
“It was a great game, from the back and into the final third. To create chances, it's a shame. I wish we could have taken something from that performance. It's a foundation to build on.”
The loss of the city highlights the need for investment
Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe:
Before conceding Savinho's diving opener in the first half, Leicester looked solid defensively and had a real – and regular – threat on the counter.
Even after conceding, this threat continued, and Vardy is likely to lie awake at night thinking about the chance he could have hit the bar from close range.
1.33 xG against the champions and pushing them to the very end is something to be proud of – but it also highlights the need to invest in the January transfer window.
Leicester created chances to walk away with something today, but if they don't have someone to finish them off, they'll be back in the Championship in the summer.
Vardy and Patson Daka offer solid options to turn to, but Leicester need a frontman capable of firing them to safety. It's a profile Van Nistelrooy will know all about, having scored just under 100 goals in the league.
The story of the match in statistics…
Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jamie Vardy, who missed several chances against Manchester City