LONDON: Jamie Vardy broke his three-month goal drought with a hat-trick as Premier League champions Leicester City sensationally inflicted a humiliating 4-2 defeat on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Saturday. At a rain-sodden King Power Stadium, Vardy hit his first top-flight treble and Andy King also found the net to ensure Leicester atoned for their 5-0 Champions League mauling by Porto. “We wanted to make sure we were competitive today and see the team fighting for the cause and we have done that,” Vardy, whose side climbed to 14th place, told BT Sport.
City, who replied through Aleksandar Kolarov and Nolito, had previously fallen to a stormy 3-1 loss at home to Chelsea and lie four points below new leaders Arsenal, who beat Stoke City 3-1.
Nolito’s late goal spared Guardiola from his joint-heaviest league defeat as a manager, but the game exposed huge flaws in a defence that has registered just one clean sheet in 17 matches. With Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho banned after being sent off against Chelsea, Guardiola had to reshape his team, with Kelechi Iheanacho and Fernando selected to deputise. But his plans fell apart in less than five minutes as quick-fire goals by Vardy and King put the champions in charge. With less than three minutes on the clock, Riyad Mahrez’s pass was helped on by Islami Slimani for Vardy, who drilled home his first Leicester goal since September 10.
Two minutes and 15 seconds later, City failed to clear a long throw-in and Slimani teed up King to arc a fine shot into the top-left corner. After Slimani had volleyed over, Leicester added a third, Mahrez’s exquisite cushioned pass releasing Vardy to round Claudio Bravo and roll in his second.
City, who remain fourth, bossed the second half, but Vardy completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute after seizing on a wretched John Stones back-pass, rendering Kolarov’s free-kick and Nolito’s goal anecdotal.
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The match completed a day that featured 29 goals in six games, with all six home teams scoring at least three goals. Victory came at the cost of a first-half injury to Shkodran Mustafi and Wenger was aggrieved that Stoke were awarded a penalty after Granit Xhaka caught Joe Allen with his elbow.
— Reuters
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