Jamie Vardy's record scoring streak ended but
Leicester City's improbable English Premier League title challenge continued
with Riyad Mahrez's hat-trick sealing a 3-0 win at Swansea City that put them
top on Saturday.
Manchester City's dismal 2-0 defeat at Stoke City in
the early kickoff opened the door for 2000-1 pre-season title shots Leicester
to reach the summit after 15 games and they responded in emphatic fashion in
south Wales.
Mahrez scored twice in the first 22 minutes and struck
again after the break as Leicester moved on to 32 points, two clear of Arsenal
who moved above Manchester City with a 3-1 home defeat of Sunderland - Olivier
Giroud scoring for both sides.
Vardy had scored for 11 consecutive Premier League
matches and while he drew a blank at the Liberty Stadium, it had no effect on
Claudio Ranieri's confident side who are still unbeaten away from home in the
league this season.
Two goals inside the opening 15 minutes from Stoke's
Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic, both created by influential Swiss playmaker
Xherdan Shaqiri, condemned injury-hit City to defeat at a blustery Britannia
Stadium.
"We can't accept how we played today," City
keeper Joe Hart said.
"It was a disappointing start and we could not
recover from it."
Manchester United failed to take advantage of City's
defeat, drawing 0-0 at home with West Ham United to stay fourth, level on 29
points with their neighbours.
There were some boos at fulltime after a fourth 0-0
draw in their last six home games.
"The most important thing is we are dominant and
creating chances, but we have to improve because we don't score," United
manager Louis van Gaal said.
Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur also missed the chance
to capitalise as they drew 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion.
Dele Alli had given the visitors an early lead but
James McClean headed West Brom level as Tottenham drew for the eighth time so
far in the campaign.
Leicester, who spent a total of 140 days propping up
the Premier League last season, the most by any club to avoid relegation, were
too good for free-falling Swansea.
And they proved that their form is not all about
Vardy's scoring prowess as Mahrez produced three clinical strikes.
The Algerian, who cost STG500,000 ($A1.03 million)
when he joined from French club Le Havre, headed them in front after five
minutes, looked offside when he swept in a second after 22 and rounded off a
great day in the 67th minute after a counter-attack.
He now has 10 league goals this season.
Remi Garde is still awaiting his first win as manager
of bottom club Aston Villa but earned some comfort in a 1-1 draw away to
Southampton.
Fellow-strugglers Norwich City lost 2-0 at Watford.
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