Manchester City 2, Preston North End 0 (Pre-Season Friendly)
Young goalkeeper Ciaran Slicker was stretched off following a sickening collision in the second half of Manchester City’s comfortable 2-0 win over Preston North End.
A free kick by Riyad Mahrez and sharp finish by Sam Edozie saw off Preston as Manchester City eased their way into a truncated pre-season schedule after a summer of International football.
This was City’s first pre-season game and the ring rustiness showed as a depleted City lineup, without several EDS players who might have expected to have started today, unavailable as they were isolating after a COVID outbreak at the CFA.
That put paid to the prospect of fans watching the game as City wore their new 93:20 Puma home strip which commemorated the contribution that recently departed striker Sergio Aguero made over the last decade.
Although City will miss a trip to France to play new CFA club Troyes they will instead host Barnsley on Saturday at 6pm – a week before they go to Wembley to play in the Community Shield against Leicester City.
Even without a number of highly rated youngsters – many of whom have been promoted to first team training – the highly rated Cole Palmer, Ben Knight, and Morgan Rogers made encouraging appearances upfront under the watchful gaze of City boss Pep Guardiola who will also have been impressed by a second half display by James McAtee and Sam Edozie.
But it wasn’t surprising that City started slowly with passes going astray against a Preston side who were deeper into their pre-season.
Riyad Mahrez, one of City’s newly blond contingent, opened the scoring after 25 minutes with a superb left footed free kick which beat ex-Oldham goalkeeper Connor Ripley in the Preston goal after Morgan Rogers had been fouled 25 yards out.
Ex-City striker Ched Evans gave the City defence something to think about while Ryan Ledson’s low shot gave Zack Steffen something to do after 31 minutes.
Liam Lindsay escaped a possible red card after Ben Knight was adjudged to be offside after he was fouled by the Preston defender after the visitors were caught out by a long pass by Benjamin Mendy.
Mendy also flicked a Mahrez pass into the path of Cole Palmer who blazed over from close range as City improved.
Philippe Sandler started the second half as one of ten outfield changes made at the break – only Steffen remained in the side.
Edozie made a nuisance of himself several times cutting in from the left and drew a save from Ripley at his feet.
And Edozie got a richly deserved goal after some great approach work and a silky reverse pass by 18-year-old McAtee released the winger.
With City 2 goals to the good Steffen made way for Ciaran Slicker.
But with 14 minutes to go Slicker collided with Tom Bayliss who was chasing down a ball towards his area.
The brave but unlucky youngster was stretchered off and Steffen returned to the fray as Preston pushed for a late goal but could not pull one back even with nine minutes of added time due to the lengthy injury stoppage.
Slicker was later reported to be on his feet and walking about after the game.
Not all of City’s youngsters, many of them teenagers, may get into the City first team – the standards are high – but they were unfazed by the challenge of the older and fitter Championship players of Preston.
GOALS – Manchester City 2, Preston North End 0
Man City 1, Preston North End 0: 25. Riyad Mahrez’ superb free kick opened the scoring after Morgan Rogers had won a free kick 25 yards out.
Man City 2, Preston North End 0: 64. Sam Edozie finished with aplomb after James McAtee’s superb approach play was finished off with a clever reverse pass to find the winger who made no mistake from the left side of the 6 yard box.