Leicester City moved level on points with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table after holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium.
With Sergio Aguero back in Manuel Pellegrini’s starting line-up, the visitors dominated possession during the early moments but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities from their patient build-up play.
Raheem Sterling forced three smart saves from Kasper Schmeichel during the first half, with the hosts’ best chance coming when Jamie Vardy blazed over from the edge of the area.
Chances were few and far between during the second period for both sides, with the hosts’ resolute defending seeing the game end in a stalemate.
Leicester finish 2015 in second place in the table, behind Arsenal on goal difference, while City move above Tottenham into third.
City dominated the ball in the opening exchanges. Sterling looked lively throughout and created their first chance on 18 minutes when he burst clear of Robert Huth and cut back for Kevin De Bruyne, whose curling effort from just inside the area was palmed away by Schmeichel.
The visitors continued to press forward, with Aguero seeing an effort charged down and Sterling having a volley palmed away by Schmeichel, before the Leicester keeper was called into action again to claw Sterling’s left-footed strike over the bar.
Leicester, making two changes from their Boxing Day defeat at Liverpool, appeared second-best through large periods of the first half but created two chances in quick succession just before the interval.
First Christian Fuchs’ dangerous cross just evaded Marc Albrighton at the far post, before Vardy blazed over moments later after Eliaquim Mangala gave the ball away just outside the City area.
The away side came out of the blocks quickly after the break, with Aguero and Yaya Toure both having efforts charged down after Sterling’s clever flick from inside a congested area.
Claudio Ranieri’s side showed more attacking threat after the restart, as N’Golo Kante’s dipping effort from distance flew just wide of Joe Hart’s near post and Albrighton dragged his effort wide following Riyad Mahrez’s defence-splitting pass.
The visitors introduced Wilfried Bony in place of Aguero, who fired over Aleksandar Kolarov’s low cross after Nicolas Otamendi’s downward header had been pushed away by Schmeichel.
Vardy had an effort from a tight angle held by Hart, before Fuchs’ powerful effort for Mahrez’s short free-kick soon after again called the City keeper in to action.
Neither keeper had a save of note to make in the closing stages, as Leicester finished strongly to earn a deserved point.
