It was not pretty or particularly convincing but securing three points was all that mattered for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City on Sunday.
Their 2-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium was only the second time in 14 games across all competitions the reigning Premier League champions had won a game.
A goal in each half from Savinho and Erling Haaland did the damage but the home side – and their veteran striker Jamie Vardy in particular – will be kicking themselves at failing to come away with at least a point.
Both City goals came after Vardy missed chances to score and the one he failed to convert from close-range five minutes before Haaland sealed all three points will give the 37-year-old a sleepless night.
“We needed it. All of us,” said Guardiola, who took charge of his 500th game as City manager. “It was not the ideal performance but hopefully the victories will give our mood a better position. It's important to win, it was tight, second half.
“We didn't have enough energy to sustain 90 minutes but hopefully in the new year we can bounce back a bit from a bad moment.
“For the result we have to do something. If you don't perform the results won't come. Now, in the position we are in the results are the most important thing to get points and help our minds. We have another game at home next and many good things happened today.
“Just relief, that is the word to express how all of us feel. We have done incredible things and now we struggle to win games so now it's just relief.”
Guardiola insisted in the build-up to the game that he “will not give up” on turning around the fortunes of a club where he has enjoyed unprecedented success over the last eight years, including a famous treble the season before last.
And a first win on the road since October 20, a clean sheet, Haaland's first goal in five games and Savinho's first goal in English football will have provided the Spaniard with some much-needed relief.
City had almost opened the scoring after seven minutes. Rico Lewis sent a superb ball behind the Leicester defence for captain Kevin De Bruyne – back in Guardiola's starting XI – who in turn picked out Haaland with a low cross. The Norwegian hit the ball first time but his strike was well saved by the boot of home goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.
But the visitor's recent defensive frailties were back on show in the 20th minute when Josko Gvardiol attempted to head the ball back to Stefan Ortega but only managed to find Vardy whose low strike from a tight angle was turned out for a corner by the German keeper.
Little over a minute later, City were in front. A quick counter ended with Phil Foden driving a shot from outside the area that Stolarczyk could only parry out and Savinho was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
It was the Brazilian winger's first goal for City in his 24th appearance since joining in a £30.8 million deal from French side Troyes last summer.
Haaland almost made it 2-0 when he showed pace, power and skill to scythe through the Leicester defence only to send a low strike just wide of the upright.
Leicester, though, almost snatched a leveller five minutes before the break when Facundo Buonanotte headed against the post with City managing to scramble away the rebound.
After half-time, City's nervousness started to kick in and their attacking threat disappeared as Leicester looked the more likely to score next.
Moroccan midfielder Bilal El Khannous curled an effort wide of the target while James Justin went even closer just after the hour mark when he flicked a Vardy header towards goal only for City defender Manuel Akanji to clear off the line.
But the game's turning point came not long after when Stephy Mavididi picked out Vardy six yards out with a perfect cross only for the former England attacker to volley over with Ortega helpless.
And it was to prove a costly miss as City substitute James McAtee showed quick feet to launch an attack down the right wing before feeding De Bruyne who sent the ball out wide to Savinho, whose cross was headed home by Haaland.
It was the big striker's 13th Premier League goal of the campaign to leave him three behind Liverpool's top-scorer Mohamed Salah.
There was still time for Vardy to hit the top of City's bar with a looping header but it was not to be his day as City moved up to fifth in the table with what was only their second win in 10 league games. Leicester's fourth defeat on the spin leaves Ruud van Nistelrooy's side third bottom, two points from safety.
