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Kompany's improbable golazo puts City on brink of another title

Nick Potts - PA Images / PA Images / Getty

It had to be Vincent Kompany.

The Manchester City skipper transformed nerves into elation Monday night at the Etihad Stadium with a thunderous strike from distance to cement a 1-0 victory over Leicester City.

With the result, City again vaulted Liverpool in a top-flight tug of war, giving Pep Guardiola's charges a one-point advantage on the Merseysiders with one match to play.

That's 13 league wins on the spin for City and, barring an unlikely result next weekend at Brighton, a second Premier League title in a row and fourth in eight years.

Permitted heaps of space as Leicester sat deep, central defender Kompany crept toward the penalty area before unleashing a right-footed rocket that Foxes shot-stopper Kasper Schmeichel could do little to impede from landing in the top corner.

However, Schmeichel did all he could to prevent City from scoring. The Dane's acrobatic lunging save on a thumping Sergio Aguero header was the moment of the first half. Replays showed that Schmeichel's slight intervention narrowly kept the ball from crossing the line.

City's pressure throughout the opening stanza pinned the Foxes deep, though the threat of Jamie Vardy on the counterattack was omnipresent as the Foxes made last-ditch tackles and interventions in attempts to spring the England man. The second half kicked off much like the first ended - with City in complete control - and Schmeichel made another brilliant save in the 70th minute when he denied a close-range effort from Aguero.

Moments later, Kompany stepped up with an attempt that was fitting for the stage.

Inevitable because of the pressure City's technically adept attack placed on Leicester, it was also unlikely because of the source; Kompany's 20th goal in all competitions for the club was also his first effort from outside the 18-yard box in five years.

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