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Jamie Vardy’s second career hat-trick against Manchester City propelled Leicester City to a remarkable 5-2 win over Pep Guardiola’s side. That took the Foxes to the top of the Premier League table while condemning last season’s runners-up to their first defeat of the new campaign.
The Englishman won two penalties in each half, converting them both with style either side of a terrific back-heeled finish before James Maddison’s long-range screamer and Youri Tielemans’ late spot-kick sealed an emphatic win for the visitors.
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Earlier, Riyad Mahrez had given Manchester City an early lead against his former side with a fantastic finish in the fourth minute. The home side, which looked to be dominating proceedings, gradually allowed Leicester City back into the game and went into the break on level terms after Vardy scored his first penalty of the game.
The Foxes’ frontman doubled his tally in the 54th minute and completed his hat-trick four minutes later as Guardiola’s men were left shellshocked. Maddison then bagged his first goal of the season before Nathan Ake pulled one back for the hosts only for Tielemans to restore Leicester City’s three-goal advantage from the spot in the 88th minute.
Incredibly, Leicester, in the process, became the first team to score five goals past a team managed by Guardiola, this indignity coming in the Spaniard’s 686th game as manager.
As the Foxes fly high atop the Premier League table, albeit at this very early stage of the season, questions arise once again about Manchester City’s shaky defence. On that note, here are the player ratings from a memorable night for Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Also check out: Updated EPL Table 2020/21
Manchester City:
Ederson: 5/10
Despite conceding five goals, the Brazilian could hardly be faulted for his performance in goal for Pep Guardiola’s side. Three of those goals came from the penalty spot while the other two were excellent finishes that gave him little chance.
Kyle Walker: 4/10
Walker’s clumsy foul in the box on Vardy offered LeicesterCity a way back into the match, with it being the first of three penalties that Manchester City conceded. The Englishman offered a constant attacking outlet on the right flank, but his forays forward often left him out of position at the back.
Eric Garcia: 4/10
The young Spaniard was at fault for Vardy’s second penalty as he barged into the Englishman from behind on 57 minutes. He was much the busier of the home side’s two centre-backs as Vardy seemed to target him throughout the game and enjoyed a fair bit of success against him as well.
Nathan Ake: 6/10
Although Ake marked his home debut for City with a goal, this was not a match he will be looking back on with much fondness. After a largely uneventful first half, the Dutchman was booked on the hour mark, saw his side concede four second-half goals and scored a late consolation from a corner.
Benjamin Mendy: 4/10
Like Walker on the opposite flank, the Frenchman was a threat going forward but was suspect at the back. Despite sending a few threatening crosses into the Leicester box, Mendy could not inspire his side to score and ended up giving away the third penalty of the game by bringing Maddison down in the box.
Fernandinho: 5/10
A disappointing outing for the experienced midfielder, who was the first to make way for Pep Guardiola’s side as he was taken off for Delap just five minutes into the second half.
Rodri: 5/10
Like Fernandinho, Rodri was unable to influence proceedings from midfield. The highlight of the Spaniard’s outing came in the 35th minute when he headed in De Bruyne’s free-kick only to see it chalked off for offside.
Riyad Mahrez: 7/10
The Algerian was one of Manchester City’s stars on the night, opening the scoring against his former side with a stunning finish. He continued to pose a threat to Justin on Leicester’s left flank and claimed the assist for Manchester City’s second as well with a pin-point cross.
Kevin de Bruyne: 6/10
The Belgian was Manchester City’s most promising attacking outlet, running the midfield with his trademark passes. Although all of Manchester City’s attacks seemed to flow through him, as is often the case, he could not make his usual telling contribution.
Phil Foden: 4/10
Not the most influential showing from Manchester City's English youngster who was largely anonymous in the first half and was replaced by Ferran Torres just after the hour mark as Manchester City refreshed their attacking options in the second half.
Raheem Sterling: 5/10
Playing in the false 9 role in the absence of both Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling was kept quiet by Leicester’s three-man defence and struggled to make an impact.
Manchester City Substitutes:
Liam Delap: 5/10
The young Englishman, son of former Stoke City stalwart Rory Delap, came on in the second half for his Premier League debut. He was a constant nuisance for Leicester City’s backline and came close to scoring with a header, only to be denied by the crossbar.
Ferran Torres: 5/10
Like Ake, Torres made his first Premier League appearance at the Etihad when he came on for Foden just after the hour. The Spaniard took up a position on the right-wing and looked busy but could not create anything of note.
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Leicester City Player Ratings:
Kasper Schmeichel: 5/10
Besides Manchester City’s two goals, Leicester’s experienced goalkeeper wasn’t unduly tested during the course of the match and was only called upon to make a few routine saves as City struggled to create too many goal-scoring opportunities.
Daniel Amartey:
The only player to retain his place in the starting lineup from Leicester’s Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal in midweek, Amartey, started on the right of a three-man defence for the visitors. He was kept fairly busy by the runs of Sterling, Mahrez, and Co. and collected a booking early in the second half but executed his defensive duties well on the whole.
Jonny Evans: 6/10
Returning from a three-match suspension after getting sent off in the final game of last season, Evans brought a calming influence to the Foxes’ backline. However, a thigh injury forced him off in the second half, which could be a cause of concern for Brendan Rodgers going forward.
Caglar Soyuncu: 6/10
The Turkish defender was his usual robust self in the Leicester backline, picking up a booking early in the second half and never finding himself far from the action as Manchester City probed regularly in search of goals.
Timothy Castagne: 7/10
The Belgian full-back continued his excellent start to life in the Premier League with yet another assist, making a great run in behind Manchester City’s backline to supply the cross for Vardy’s second goal. He was tidy in possession and accomplished in defence as well, with early signs pointing to him being one of the most shrewd signings of the season.
James Justin: 6/10
The young Englishman seems to be increasingly at home in an unfamiliar left-back role, providing great energy up and down Leicester’s left flank throughout the game.
Nampalys Mendy: 6/10
Deputising in midfield for the injured Wilfried Ndidi, Mendy was kept busy by Manchester City’s stars but held his own admirably and even claimed an assist for Maddison’s stunning effort late on.
Dennis Praet: 5/10
The Belgian put in a tidy shift in the middle of the park for the Foxes before being forced off with an injury with about 20 minutes to go.
Youri Tielemans: 6/10
After collecting an early booking for a cynical foul on dDe Bruyne, it looked like Tielemans would be overrun in midfield by Manchester City’s big names. However, the young Belgian grew into the game as the clock ticked on, setting up Vardy’s second goal and rounding off the rout with a nerveless penalty.
Harvey Barnes: 6/10
The young Englishman was full of running, drawing defenders out of position and opening up spaces for Vardy to exploit.
Jamie Vardy: 9/10
Last season’s Golden Boot winner shows no signs of stopping with age, surging to the top of the scoring charts this season with a fine hat-trick, the fourth treble already scored this season. Two confident penalties, both of which he won himself, sandwiched an impudent back-heeled finish that set Leicester City on their way to victory before Vardy was forced off late on through injury.
This was only the third ever hat-trick scored against a side managed by Pep Guardiola, with Vardy grabbing two of those, and Lionel Messi the other.
Leicester City Substitutes Ratings
James Maddison: 8/10
A late entrant into the game, Maddison, put the game beyond reach for the hosts with a superb long-range strike that curled into the top corner past a despairing dive from Ederson. He then earned his side the third and final penalty of the night, which Tielemans dispatched to put the final nail in Manchester City’s coffin.
Christian Fuchs: 5/10
The experienced Austrian replaced Evans in defence and went about his business in a calm and composed fashion. Even though Manchester City were given a brief glimpse of hope by Ake’s header in the 84th minute, Fuchs and his fellow defenders ensured that the hosts were not abe to effect a miraculous comeback.
Kelechi Iheanacho: N.A.
The former Manchester City striker, who came on late in the game to replace the injured Vardy, hardly got a touch as the ball remained mostly at the other end of the pitch, with Manchester City looking to score another goal.
