Wednesday 30 December 2015 09:22, UK
Leicester denied Manchester City the chance to close the gap at the top of the table with a 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium.
There were chances for both sides in an evenly-contested encounter in the East Midlands, but the draw means it's Arsenal who end the year as the Premier League leaders.
From Leicester's impressive performance to Sergio Aguero's penalty appeal - we round up the main talking points from the match...
Leicester bounce back from defeat
Leicester comfortably matched City to put paid to suggestions that the defeat to Liverpool on Boxing Day might derail their remarkable campaign. Claudio Ranieri has talked down expectations on a weekly basis since the start of the season, but replacing Gokhan Inler with striker Leonardo Ulloa midway through the second half showed just how ambitious he really is.
And why shouldn't he be? Only goal difference keeps Leicester off the top of the table heading into 2016, and they would be ahead of Arsenal had Jamie Vardy not uncharacteristically blasted over the bar after robbing Fernandinho of possession and charging through on goal just before the break.
With half of the season now gone, Leicester have taken points off Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and City at the King Power Stadium. Their supporters were given free bottles of beer as a thank you for their support in the build-up to kick-off, and on this evidence, the party atmosphere could continue for a long while yet.
City's away woes continue
For Manchester City, this was a sixth consecutive Premier League away game without a win. The dismal run dates back to their visit to Selhurst Park on September 12, where it took a stoppage-time winner from youngster Kelechi Iheanacho to see them past Crystal Palace.
Since then, City have taken just three points from trips to Tottenham, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Stoke, Arsenal and now Leicester. From the same fixtures last season, they took 13 points. It is a major cause for concern for Manuel Pellegrini, and their title challenge could hinge on whether they can find a cure for their travel sickness.
Schmeichel shines
Peter Schmeichel knows a thing or two about what it takes to go the distance in a Premier League title race, and he will have been proud of how his son Kasper kept Leicester on track at the King Power Stadium. The likes of Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have dominated the headlines for the Foxes this season, but the man at the other end of the field came to the fore against City.
Against his boyhood club, Schmeichel made five saves in total, including an excellent block from Kevin De Bruyne and a string of fine saves from the dangerous Raheem Sterling. It was only Leicester's fourth clean sheet of the season - and they had Schmeichel to thank for it.
Aguero denied penalty
The second half was a subdued affair but there was one major flashpoint after 62 minutes, when Sergio Aguero, back in City's starting line-up after he was rested for the 4-1 win over Sunderland on Boxing Day, turned away from Christian Fuchs before being felled by Inler on the right-hand side of the box.
The Argentine was furious when referee Craig Pawson ignored his appeals for a penalty, and replays suggested he had a right to feel aggrieved as Inler's clumsy challenge made no contact with the ball. Aguero, though, probably didn't help himself by theatrically throwing himself to the floor.
City keep it clean
For City, this was a case of two points dropped rather than one point gained, but their improved defensive display provided some encouragement. This was the first time in 10 games Premier League games that Manuel Pellegrini's men have kept a clean sheet in the absence of their captain Vincent Kompany, who suffered another injury setback against Sunderland on Boxing Day.
With the exception of Vardy's first-half opportunity, City successfully restricted the hosts to few clear-cut chances. Nicolas Otamendi did his reputation no favours with some bizarre theatrics when he tangled with Robert Huth in stoppage time, but he acquitted himself well otherwise, showing awareness to deal with Vardy's movement and making 14 clearances - six more than any of his team-mates. With Kompany sidelined, City will need more of the same in the weeks ahead.
