Leicester City missed the chance to return to the top of the Premier League as they played out a goalless draw with Manchester City at the King Power Stadium.
Claudio Ranieri's side can take great heart, however, from a highly impressive response to only their second league defeat of the season at Liverpool on Boxing Day - but Arsenal stay top on goal difference.
Leicester and Manchester City both had chances in an entertaining encounter, with goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart excelling with a succession of saves.
Man of the moment Jamie Vardy missed Leicester's best chance when he shot over the top after racing clear in the first half while the normally lethal Sergio Aguero was off target from inside the six-yard box as both sides pushed for the win.
Relive the action as Leicester frustrated Manchester City.
Aguero still searching for spark
Aguero's frustrating season continues as he was replaced by Wilfried Bony after just 62 minutes with Manchester City pressing strongly for a breakthrough.
Foxes performance "very pleasing" - Leicester boss Ranieri
The 27-year-old Argentine is a striker of undisputed world class but his edge has been blunted by a succession of niggling injuries that have interrupted his season.
Aguero has scored seven Premier League goals this term - and five of those came in the space of 20 minutes in the 6-1 win against Newcastle United at the Etihad in early October.
He had a couple of opportunities here, none better than when he stole in on a corner seconds after the break but his touch was too heavy at the near post and he was well off target.
Aguero went down under the challenge of Gokhan Inler and wanted a penalty shortly before being substituted
Aguero is a player of such quality that it is only a matter of time before the brilliance returns but he seems to be struggling for full fitness - and as City search for the victories that will give them consistency, it is a vital missing ingredient.
Leicester not going away
It is the question that has been asked all season - how will Leicester City react to a defeat?
After the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on Boxing Day, the visit of Manuel Pellegrini's expensively assembled squad was both a test and an opportunity.
Christian Fuchs touched the ball 94 times down Leicester's left flank, only Bacary Sagna saw more possession
They answered the question emphatically with a performance bursting with spirit and energy, roared on by the trademark vibrant atmosphere at a packed King Power Stadium.
This was a night when Ranieri's undercard once again came to the fore and outshone the pair he calls "the pinnacle of the iceberg" - Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
N'Golo Kante, a £5.6m summer signing from French club Caen, has been winning plaudits and he looked a bargain again here.
Kante almost broke the deadlock with a flashing 25-yard shot just wide then showed remarkable pace to catch Raheem Sterling in a footrace to stop a City attack.
Wes Morgan was once again a powerhouse in defence alongside Robert Huth, while Christian Fuchs ran a marathon down the left, almost creating a first-half goal for Marc Albrighton with a superb cross.
Vardy and Mahrez deserve every headline written about them this season - but there is much more going on under the pinnacle of the Leicester iceberg.
Manchester City's travel sickness continues
Manchester City had 21 shots, five on target (green), seven blocked (yellow) and nine off target (red)
While Manchester City may be formidable at home, there is a missing link away from home that is undermining their chances of taking the Premier League title back from Chelsea.
This goalless draw leaves their league away record this season as won three, drawn three and lost three with eight goals scored and eight conceded - not title-winning form.
City's last away league victory was at Crystal Palace on 12 September after starting with impressive victories at West Bromwich Albion and Everton.
There is still time to put it right - but the lack of punch away from home must be a concern for Pellegrini because it is often on travels where titles are won.
Man of the match - N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante ran over 11km in the match, only Marc Albrighton covered more ground
Manager reaction
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri: "I think we made a very good match. It was difficult. We played well, we created some chances. I wanted to see how my players responded after the Liverpool defeat and they responded well.
Draw with Leicester disappointing - Manchester City boss Pellegrini
"Every match is difficult for us. This league is very crazy...nobody wants to win the league. It's very strange. We're the basement and the other teams are a villa with a swimming pool. It's not easy for us but we want to fight with everybody. It's a miracle what we're doing."
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: "I think we did more than Leicester to win the game. We had more possession, more attempts, more options but it was a tough game against a tough team playing away. This is a crucial period. I think at the end of January we will know exactly what position we are in. "
The stats you need to know
- Manchester City have extended their winless run on the road in the Premier League to six games, something they last achieved in April 2011.
- Pellegrini's side have scored just one goal in their last five Premier League away games.
- Leicester City failed to score at home in the Premier League for the first time in 15 games.
- Manchester City kept their first clean sheet of the season without Vincent Kompany in the line-up.
After the match, Manuel Pellegrini revealed captain Vincent Kompany will miss three to four weeks through injury
Up next?
Leicester host Bournemouth - who have one defeat in seven - on Saturday, while Manchester City play the first of seven games they contest in January by travelling to Watford for a 17:30 GMT kick-off.
Lineup, Bookings (4) & Substitutions (6)
Leicester City
- 01 Schmeichel
- 17 Simpson
- 05 Morgan
- 06 Huth
- 28 Fuchs
- 26 Mahrez
- 04 Drinkwater (King - 80' )
- 33 Inler (Ulloa - 67' )
- 14 Kanté
- 11 Albrighton Booked (de Laet - 93' )
- 09 Vardy
Substitutes
- 02 de Laet
- 10 King
- 20 Okazaki
- 23 Ulloa
- 24 Dyer
- 27 Wasilewski
- 32 Schwarzer
Manchester City
- 01 Hart
- 03 Sagna
- 30 Otamendi
- 20 Mangala Booked
- 11 Kolarov Booked
- 42 Y Touré
- 25 Fernandinho
- 17 De Bruyne Booked
- 21 Silva (Jesús Navas - 74' )
- 07 Sterling (Iheanacho - 89' )
- 10 Agüero (Bony - 64' )
Substitutes
- 05 Zabaleta
- 13 Caballero
- 14 Bony
- 15 Jesús Navas
- 26 Demichelis
- 61 Horsfield
- 72 Iheanacho
Match Stats
Live Text Commentary
Full Time Match ends, Leicester City 0, Manchester City 0.
90:00 +3:38 Full timeFull Time Second Half ends, Leicester City 0, Manchester City 0.
90:00 +2:04 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Leicester City. Ritchie de Laet replaces Marc Albrighton.
89:25 BookingBooking Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.
89:19Foul by Bacary Sagna (Manchester City).
89:19Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
88:31 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Manchester City. Kelechi Iheanacho replaces Raheem Sterling.
88:07Yaya Touré (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
88:07Foul by Andy King (Leicester City).
87:10Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Christian Fuchs.
80:32 BookingBooking Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
80:28Bacary Sagna (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
80:28Foul by Marc Albrighton (Leicester City).
79:30 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Leicester City. Andy King replaces Daniel Drinkwater.
77:59Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Wes Morgan.
77:57Attempt blocked. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jesús Navas.
76:24Offside, Leicester City. Christian Fuchs tries a through ball, but Leonardo Ulloa is caught offside.
76:23Attempt saved. Christian Fuchs (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
75:20 BookingBooking Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
75:04Foul by Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City).
Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
73:25 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Manchester City. Jesús Navas replaces David Silva.
70:11Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.
68:55Attempt missed. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Aleksandar Kolarov.
67:02Offside, Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne tries a through ball, but Wilfried Bony is caught offside.
66:23 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Leicester City. Leonardo Ulloa replaces Gökhan Inler.
65:48 BookingBooking Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
65:39Foul by Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City).
65:39Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
65:32Attempt blocked. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
65:09Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Daniel Drinkwater.
65:06Attempt blocked. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
64:12Yaya Touré (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
64:12Foul by Gökhan Inler (Leicester City).
63:54Attempt blocked. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
63:27Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
63:25Attempt saved. Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.
63:09 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Manchester City. Wilfried Bony replaces Sergio Agüero.
62:03Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Gökhan Inler.
61:44Attempt missed. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aleksandar Kolarov.
59:59Attempt missed. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a through ball.
57:04Offside, Leicester City. Christian Fuchs tries a through ball, but Marc Albrighton is caught offside.
55:26David Silva (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
55:26Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
53:32Attempt missed. N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jamie Vardy.
52:34Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross.
52:23Attempt missed. Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Wes Morgan.
51:55Foul by Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City).
51:55Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
50:01Attempt blocked. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
50:00Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
47:47Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Wes Morgan.
46:52Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
46:52Foul by Gökhan Inler (Leicester City).
45:53Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range is too high. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross following a corner.
45:19Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Robert Huth.
45:00Second Half begins Leicester City 0, Manchester City 0.
45:00 +1:27 Half timeHalf Time First Half ends, Leicester City 0, Manchester City 0.
45:00 +1:19Attempt missed. Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross following a corner.
45:00 +0:56Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Christian Fuchs.
44:53Delay over. They are ready to continue.
43:59Delay in match Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) because of an injury.
43:21Attempt saved. Christian Fuchs (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
41:49Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Eliaquim Mangala.
40:45Foul by David Silva (Manchester City).
40:45Gökhan Inler (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
39:33Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater with a through ball.
39:05Attempt missed. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Christian Fuchs with a cross.
36:52Foul by Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City).
36:52Robert Huth (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
36:43Attempt missed. Bacary Sagna (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva with a cross following a corner.
36:21Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Wes Morgan.
34:28Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
34:28Foul by N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City).
32:03Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
32:03Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
31:50Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
31:23Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
31:20Attempt saved. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Aleksandar Kolarov.
28:58Attempt missed. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by David Silva.
28:01Bacary Sagna (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
28:01Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
27:21David Silva (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
27:21Foul by Danny Simpson (Leicester City).
26:59Attempt saved. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
26:29Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
26:26Attempt saved. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bacary Sagna.
25:05Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva.
24:18Attempt missed. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
18:24Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Silva.
17:29Attempt saved. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
15:35Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
15:35Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
15:00Attempt missed. Robert Huth (Leicester City) header from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Christian Fuchs following a set piece situation.
13:53Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
13:53Gökhan Inler (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
12:13Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Danny Simpson.
11:44Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Wes Morgan.
11:42Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right. Assisted by Aleksandar Kolarov.
9:34Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
9:34Foul by Gökhan Inler (Leicester City).
2:14Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
2:14Foul by Bacary Sagna (Manchester City).
0:00First Half begins.
0:00Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
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