Opinion

Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss now looks like a genius after what happened vs Manchester City

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Leicester City faced off with Manchester City in a Premier League clash on Sunday and fell to a 2-0 defeat.

It was always going to be a tough game for the Foxes, despite Pep Guardiola’s side floundering somewhat this season.

Leicester City went into the clash with the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League having conceded 10 in their previous three matches.

In turn, it came as little surprise when Manchester City beat Leicester 2-0, dealing Ruud van Nistelrooy and co. a big blow in their survival hopes.

The Midlands outfit have now slipped down to 19th in the table with only Southampton winning fewer league games than them in 2024/25.

Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts
18 IpswichIpswich19 3 6 10 18 33 -15 15
19 LeicesterLeicester19 3 5 11 22 42 -20 14
20 SouthamptonSouthampton19 1 3 15 12 39 -27 6

Despite the defeat, it was not all negative for the relegation-threatened side on Sunday. After being axed from the eleven in recent weeks, Facundo Buonanotte was a standout vs Man City.

Elsewhere, Bilal El Khannouss was praised by Leicester fans for his display in the loss over the weekend.

Leicester City FC v Manchester City FC - Premier League
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Bilal El Khannouss prediction about Ruud van Nistelrooy proven right

As well as starring against the Manchester outfit, the former Genk midfielder was proven right about something he said regarding Van Nistelrooy earlier this month.

The Dutchman arrived as a replacement for Steve Cooper and shortly after his debut in the King Power dugout, El Khannouss made an interesting prediction for Ruud and his ability to help young players, as per BBC Sport.

He said: “He [has] worked a lot with young players in the past as well and we have a lot of young players in the team so I think he can help a lot of players in this team and then we can improve for the next games.”

It’s only been a few weeks since those comments were made but the midfielder was proven right after young star Will Alves made his Premier League debut against Man City.

The gem had previously struggled to break into the senior team under Cooper despite obvious talent but as El Khannouss wisely predicted at the beginning of December, Van Nistelrooy looks set to help Leicester’s young players.

Leicester City v Manchester City - Premier League
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

What Ruud van Nistlerooy said about Bilal El Khannouss after Leicester City lost to Manchester City

While Alves looked sharp in his cameo off the bench, El Khannouss was clearly Leicester’s best player on the day.

He has proven himself to be a superb summer addition and received high praise from his manager post-match, as per Leicestershire Live.

Van Nistelrooy said: “Decent performance! He was good, he was excellent. It suits him as well, the way we’re trying to play. Kicking the ball up the park, he won’t be the one to hold it up for you but when we start to play through the middle, finding the half-spaces, finding Facundo and Bilal, these players can flourish.

“That’s what the team did today. They made each other strong. Players were playing in their roles and reaching their top levels. That’s what you want from the team and I think Bilal deserves a big compliment today, for his work rate off the ball and on the ball for how skillful and technical he is.”

Next up for Leicester is another tough test against Aston Villa and Van Nistelrooy will no doubt be expecting another big display from El Khannouss.