Manchester City closed to within a point of second-placed Leicester after sinking them with a display that became better as this contest aged. The champions’ perseverance should be applauded because they are not the force they were. Instead Pep Guardiola’s team have to scrap more to achieve victory and until they finally pulled away Brendan Rodgers’s side might have nicked a point, at least.

Kevin De Bruyne scintillated throughout, with Riyad Mahrez closely behind. Guardiola said of the Belgian: “That was the best he has played in a long time. Kevin De Bruyne is a fighter and he helps us keep up the intensity when he’s playing further up. Riyad was so aggressive against [Ben] Chilwell. He wants to score more goals so he took his well.”

In an attractive opening half the hosts’ attacking intent was illustrated when Benjamin Mendy found De Bruyne, who sprinted from halfway before Raheem Sterling received the ball. The forward is quick yet Jonny Evans stayed with him and was able to kill the danger. Next Mahrez was hit by a smart De Bruyne pass and the Algerian’s attempt came off Caglar Soyuncu: there was a shout for a penalty for handball but Mike Dean, the referee, was unmoved.

De Bruyne has recently produced the best from his stellar talent and the latest vignette was a blistering effort that beat Kasper Schmeichel but flashed wide of the goalkeeper’s left post. Now some dizzying Mahrez footwork made a mug of Chilwell and his pull-back from near the touchline to Gabriel Jesus deserved a goal but the No 9 somehow missed.

The champions’ continuing weakness is defence. When Youri Tielemans flipped a pass into Jamie Vardy the centre-forward raced down the right, left Nicolás Otamendi a spectator, but when he looked to cross no teammate had made a supporting run.

Vardy was about to show he did not need such help. Chilwell nicked the ball and fed Harvey Barnes. The latter now decorated the contest with a superb pass along the left that put Vardy in behind Fernandinho. A classic Leicester move was about to have the coup de grace: the striker hit sixth gear and headed for Ederson and when the goalkeeper decided – a fraction late – to rush out, Vardy dinked over and in for a 17th league goal of the season.

Cue Guardiola rubbing his face in despair and Rodgers and his bench celebrating. Vardy nearly repeated the trick with a similar move that ended with him hitting a rising effort over.

Guardiola’s team have no problem at the opposition end, of course. So it proved when more slick and quick play ended with Mahrez firing the equaliser – via a Soyuncu deflection.

The Turk was booked after felling De Bruyne and when Mahrez’s subsequent free-kick from the right lacked curve to beat Schmeichel he could breathe a sigh of relief.

The opposite emotion was about to be felt by the visitors. Sterling collected in the area and nipped inside Ricardo Pereira and was fouled. Dean pointed to the spot and Ilkay Gündogan executed the penalty expertly.

The porous defence meant the hosts’ best hope was to take the match to the Foxes when possible. Yet the lack of dominance that has been the tale of their season was again evident. The Manchester City of the last two campaigns have often enjoyed a clear supremacy. Not so this term and not so in this match. They were enjoying more possession but Leicester were still a threat.

A scuffed Mahrez shot that dribbled to Schmeichel was indicative of one reason – slipshod finishing – why his team have not been the force they were. So too when Sterling and Jesus were each blocked off when they might have secured a third.

The pattern continued: Mahrez failed to finish again, De Bruyne deliberated when he should have smashed the ball at goal and Jesus and Sterling could not close the deal. This was all nearly costly when a Vardy burst was followed with a cross that Barnes came close to finishing.

Now, at last, a cutting edge was found. De Bruyne, who would hobble off in the final minute, slalomed through and delivered a ball that Jesus finished.

This brought the comfort of a two-goal lead and the match was as good as over. When Vardy got in again he may not have scored but the hosts were reminded of their instability.

Rodgers said: “We were disappointed first half but second half we were a bit better. We had a bit more courage to get on the ball and play.”

Now the Leicester manager must prepare to face Liverpool on Boxing Day at the King Power, with his team 10 points behind leaders who have a game in hand, too.