Manchester City has torn plenty of defenses apart in recent weeks – going into this game they had scored 24 goals during their run of victories, including a 7-0 thrashing of Leeds – so their latest display of scintillating attacking play was not exactly a surprise.
What was unexpected was the response that followed from a Leicester side missing many of their regulars because of injury, and how easily they found a way through their hosts.
Guardiola’s side has the best defensive record in the country, but for a spell, in the second half they were left chasing shadows and ended up conceding as many goals in 10 minutes as they had in their previous eight league games.
Leicester could have had more too – their manager Brendan Rodgers leaped into the air when Marc Albrighton headed wide from close range with the score at 5-3 because he thought it was in.
The Foxes have had a difficult season so far, with a lack of consistency and continuing defensive issues even before this latest bout of injuries, but they at least gave their supporters something to sing about on an entertaining afternoon.
The home fans probably appreciated the second-half drama a little less, but this was a reminder at the halfway point of the season that they cannot always expect everything to go their way regarding football results.