LONDON – Photos from the English Premier League clash between Leicester City and Manchester City at The King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Manchester City went into the game as the favourites to beat Leicester, according to ESPN’s Soccer Power Index, but the Foxes stunned one of the title contenders with three quick goals.
Striker Jamie Vardy scored his first hat-trick since 2012 when he suited out for Fleetwood Town and it helped to stun the Citizens 4-2 after the visitors trailed for most of the game.
Vardy found the back of the net in the 3rd, 20th and 78th minutes of the contest.
The win pushed Leicester City to 14th and four points clear of the relegation zone, which justified Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri decision to rest several of his star players in the 5-0 defeat to Porto in the Champions League in midweek.
Before his hat-trick on Saturday, Vardy had failed to score in his previous 16 games for the defending English Premier League champions.
“He played so well, never he told me he needed to score. Never,” Ranieri said about the England forward. “Although I know the goalscorer needs to score goals.”
Aleksandar Kolarov and Nolito narrowed the deficit with goals in the 82nd and 90th minutes, but by then the game had already been wrapped up.
Pep Guardiola’s decision to not make adjustments after the first two goals came into question, but the Spaniard didn’t think his team played all that badly, despite the defeat.
“I want to play the football I feel. I cannot say we played badly or didn’t play without the intention to create,” he said.
“Always I try to control the games so we concede few goals, in here I cannot do that and I have to analyse why.
“I want to win games, I don’t want to lose games. I feel what I feel and in the Premier League there are some special things but the pitch is the same. What I believe is good and will be good.”
Leicester City Match Report | Manchester City Match Report
