Owing to other absences Leicester are likely to have to continue using Wilfred Ndidi in central defence – he coped fine at the Hawthorns but this Sunday he will face Chris Wood, who scored twice against Leicester last season, and who represents an altogether different challenge for a midfielder playing out of position. Vardy blasted home, top left corner, meaning the 33-year-old has won more penalties (19) and scored more (22) than any other player in the Premier League since his debut in August 2014.

This season n/a. A prime one was why the two-man holding midfield of Fernandinho and Rodri was still not able to stem Leicester’s chief ploy of the quick ball, whether aerial or low.

Leicester, though, were to show a tough core. Have your say on the game in the comments.
Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester … Yet by half-time Rodgers’s gameplan was in rude health due to City – via Walker – being sucker-punched. Subs: Delap (5), Torres (5) Rashness. City were exposed when a counterattack left them trailing, the ball going across the area to Justin though, again, his intended pass was misdirected. Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers: "To beat Man City you have to run like hell. Nathan Ake pulled one back late on after Liam Delap hit the crossbar but Leicester were rampant and claimed a fifth with another penalty from Youri Tielemans. Free match highlights: Pep Guardiola sees his side concede five goals for the first time ever in his 686th game as a manager; Leicester keep up their 100 per cent record this season in the Premier League; Jamie Vardy scores two penalties in hat-trick show.

A De Bruyne free-kick was far more precise: placed for Fernandinho to head in but he missed – poorly. Man City had all of the ball in the first half, and were ahead via a piece of magic from former Leicester man Mahrez, hitting a fine half volley into the top left corner from the right of the box after Kevin De Bruyne's corner had been cleared.

Manchester City

"He knows exactly what he's doing. Now came Vardy magic, the irrepressible centre-forward beating Ederson with a back-heeled flick.

I'm not blaming it just on Rodri.

[We were] anxious... thinking: 'We are not creating chances, we are not creating chances', we got nervous, and after, we give away three penalties. "City were a shadow of the team we have seen for the last few years. With Leicester's second shot, Vardy produced a stunning flick beyond Ederson from close range (54), before again winning a penalty, this time from Eric Garcia's foul, and converting for 3-1 (58). Certainly, you can get at this Manchester City back four a lot quicker that you could previously. "His defenders aren't good enough, whichever way you want to look at it.

More prescient is how this reverse poses a serious question about a credible title challenge from them. Last modified on Sun 27 Sep 2020 16.37 EDT. Vardy (33y 260d) is the oldest PL hat-trick scorer since Teddy Sheringham in August 2003. From the league win against Burnley last week Brendan Rodgers was without Wilfred Ndidi (abductor problem), with the manager dropping Ayoze Pérez as in came Daniel Amartey and Jonny Evans. This was a scintillating exhibition of why Jamie Vardy is so dangerous. Michael Oliver pointed to the spot and Vardy smashed home.

Jamie Vardy celebrates after scoring his second to put Leicester 2-1 up. Could Dias deal decide future of City's Pep project?

Referee Lee Mason. Ake scored his first goal for the hosts with six minutes remaining, climbing highest to a Mahrez corner for 4-2, but yet another penalty fell Leicester's way as Benjamin Mendy brought down Maddison just inside the box. The hosts were camped in Leicester's defensive third, and should have gone 2-0 up as De Bruyne's wicked free-kick was met by Fernandinho eight yards out, but he failed to make proper connection with his header, collected gratefully by Kasper Schmeichel. This time a burst had García shoving him down and Oliver – correctly – awarded a second penalty.

All rights reserved. The victory takes Leicester top of the table. First, Vardy got on the end of Timothy Castagne's low cross from the right to produce a fine flick past Ederson - described aptly by Gary Neville on Sky Sports as a 'Cruyff dink' - for his and Leicester's second.

You read correctly. I'm very much about attacking and being aggressive. But he doesn't read danger like Fernandinho and the backline get exposed time and time again. City’s riposte was a Benjamin Mendy cross that Delap headed on to the bar. Further succour for Leicester came in another break with a pass over the top that required García to win a foot race with Barnes.