Vardy bags hat-trick as Leicester outfox Man City

Leicester ended their three-match losing run with a spectacular 4-2 victory over title hopefuls Man City at King Power Stadium.

Three goals in the opening 20 minutes, two from Jamie Vardy, and another from Andy King, had Pep Guardiola’s side reeling.

Vardy completed his hat-trick with just over ten minutes remaining which proved to be more than enough to guarantee the win.

Aleksandar Kolarov and Nolito bagged two in the close of the game to put a different sheen on the scoreline, but it was too little too late for the big-money side.

Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes climb up to 14^th in the table as they look to edge away from the relegation battle they've been drawn into. City stay fourth with a performance that leaves their title credentials in tatters following a first top-flight defeat away to Leicester since March 1987.

Saturday’s evening kick-off got off to the most electric of starts with two Foxes goals in the opening five minutes.

Three minutes in a beautiful flick from Riyad Mahrez found Islam Slimani to feed Vardy through on goal between John Stones and Kolarov to fire past Claudio Bravo for the England international’s first goal in 16 matches and his first-ever goal against City.

After five minutes it was two with a long throw from Christian Fuchs reaching the head of Robert Huth to move the ball on to Slimani to tee up King to fire home a cracker from the edge of the area. Keeper Bravo got a hand to it but didn’t manage to push it away from its path to the net.

And it should have been three after just 13 minutes; From a short corner Huth headed down for Slimani six yards out with the latter somehow managing to blast his effort over the bar.

The Foxes didn’t have to wait a huge amount longer for that third though. On 20 minutes a long ball from Fuchs found Mahrez on the right, who with one touch played in Vardy to round the keeper and slot home.

Leicester were flying with Mahrez then weaving to the edge of the City box a few minutes later to unleash another effort on goal that was curling for the corner, with Bravo getting across to his right to palm away.

Needless to say City were all at sea but they very nearly pulled one back on the half hour. A corner from Kevin De Bruyne getting flicked on by Fernando to Kolarov at the back post who went inches wide with a headed effort.

City were beginning to find some rhythm with De Bruyne testing Ron-Robert Zieler with a fierce drive from distance that the keeper had to parry away.

De Bruyne was acting as creator-in-chief down the left as they pressed for a goal to edge their way back into the tie, launching balls into the box, with Huth matching the most dangerous with a headed clearance for a corner that came to nothing.

The Foxes should have had a fourth just before the break with Mahrez crossing for Slimani in the middle only for the striker to put his free header wide of the left post.

After the break City continued where they left off as they pushed forward at every opportunity, Dr Bruyne cutting back inside and firing just wide of the right post after 50 minutes.

Belgium international De Bruyne continued to push for City, crossing for Kelechi Iheanacho to play into the path of Ilkay Gundogan, who got his angle wrong as he drove an effort left and wide.

That was the last of the action for Iheanacho as he was called ashore for Yaya Toure, with Raheem Sterling brought in for Jesus Navas at the same juncture.

And Toure almost had an immediate impact as he came within inches of connecting with a Pablo Zabaleta cross from the right, only a King touch on the ball taking it out of Toure’s path at the back post.

Ranieri’s Leicester were sitting deep and inviting City onto them, but with their rare forays forward they were threatening; Slimani carved through the City defence but disappointed with his effort on goal as he directed it straight into the waiting arms of Bravo.

Nolito for Gundogan was Pep Guardiola’s final change as his side continued to look for a lifeline with just over 20 minutes remaining; Toure dropping back to midfield with Nolito taking up the lone striker role.

For all City’s pressure it was the Foxes who were to get that crucial next goal. Stones, under little pressure on the edge of the City area, failed to spot Vardy lurking in the box and in an almighty blunder played a backpass straight to the No 9 to collect, go around Bravo and finish in off the far post from the most acute of angles to complete his hat-trick.

Guardiola’s team finally got off the mark with eight minutes to go, Kolarov curling in a sublime free-kick from the right-side of the area, which Zieler scrambled across to meet but couldn’t prevent ruffling the net.

Nolito added another on 90 minutes as he turned home a Kolarov cross from eight yards out as City added a deceptive nature to the scoreline as the game finished 4-2, leaving Guardiola with plenty of thinking to do on the bus journey home.

Photo: Getty/Christopher Lee

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