(With 8 games remaining against 17th place Wolverhampton Wanderers, the gap is 12 points. The difference is too large.

It is safe to say that relegation is confirmed. Ruud van Nistelrooy, the manager of Leicester City, has effectively given up on survival.

Leicester City lost 0-2 to Manchester City in the 30th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on the 3rd (Korea time).

This marks Leicester's seventh consecutive league loss and eighth consecutive loss in official competitions, continuing their worst slump. Their rank is 19th, in the relegation zone, with 17 points (4 wins, 5 draws, 21 losses), trailing 12 points behind 17th place Wolverhampton (29 points). Unless a major upset occurs, Leicester is fated to drop back to the second division after a year.

The biggest problem is the worst attacking performance. Leicester has recorded 0 goals in the last 7 league matches. Conversely, they have conceded 18 goals. Leicester has not scored since their 2-1 victory against Tottenham away at the end of January.

Just 2 minutes into the match, Manchester City scored the opening goal. It was even a goal from Jack Grealish, who had been silent for the last 16 months. He shook the net with a right-footed shot after receiving a pass from Riyad Mahrez in the center of the box. It was Grealish's first league goal since December 2023.

Leicester conceded an additional goal to Omar Marmoush in the 29th minute of the first half, falling behind 0-2. Ultimately, there was no turnaround. Leicester did not record a single shot throughout the second half and helplessly succumbed.

Now Leicester is truly facing imminent relegation. Although there are still 8 league games remaining, there is no sign of a rebound. The atmosphere has already been set for relegation alongside 18th place Ipswich Town (20 points) and last place Southampton (10 points).

Even the head coach has essentially accepted relegation. 'BeIn Sports' reported that "Van Nistelrooy acknowledged that Leicester's relegation is unavoidable after losing to Manchester City," sharing details from his interview.

Van Nistelrooy sighed during an interview with British 'Sky Sports', stating, "The gap is now very large. We have 8 games left, and we need to show ourselves in the best way, which is a difficult task."

He also added, "The gap was already large before today’s game. So I asked the players to make the most of the remaining moments at this level. We need to give everything from start to finish."

Van Nistelrooy honestly confessed that it is difficult to catch up with Wolverhampton. He said, "I can be truthful about it (relegation). With 8 games left, there is a 12-point difference. It's too big of a gap. We must focus on each game and express ourselves in the best way. That is the main goal right now."

Van Nistelrooy faces relegation in his first official job as a coach in the Premier League. He was a legendary striker for Manchester United during his playing career. From 2001 to 2006, he wore the Manchester United jersey for five years, scoring 150 goals in 219 matches. He played alongside Ji-sung Park for one season.

Afterward, Van Nistelrooy left Manchester United following a fallout with then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson and joined Real Madrid. He spent his later years at Hamburg after transferring there in 2010, where he shared a kitchen with the young prospect Heung-min Son. Van Nistelrooy also took on a mentoring role, helping Son. Earlier this January, he was spotted greeting Son warmly when they met as opponents.

Transitioning to a coach after retirement, Van Nistelrooy was appointed as Manchester United's first-team coach last summer following the call from Erik ten Hag. He briefly took charge as caretaker manager when ten Hag was dismissed, achieving unexpected results with 3 wins and 1 draw in 4 matches.

Leicester, noticing this, appointed Van Nistelrooy as a firefighter. However, it turned out to be the worst choice. Van Nistelrooy started positively, defeating West Ham 3-1 in his first match, but quickly fell into a severe slump. Since Van Nistelrooy's appointment, Leicester's league record is merely 2 wins, 1 draw, and 14 losses. Next season, fans are unlikely to see a matchup between Heung-min Son and Van Nistelrooy.

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