The big story: Jamie Vardy’s goalscoring boots are back

Quite incredibly, Leicester won 4-2 against Manchester City with just 22 percent possession as Jamie Vardy netted his first hat-trick for the Foxes. The struggling champions went 2-0 up within the first five minutes of the game, and there was no way back for Pep Guardiola’s side from there.

City’s backline were ripped apart by a relentless Leicester side, who were deadly on the counter-attack. Vardy ended his 741-minute goal drought barely two minutes into the game and midfielder Andy King doubled the lead a couple of minutes later. Islam Slimani put Vardy through on goal with a brilliant first-touch pass for the English striker to triple the lead.

Vardy got his hat-trick in the second half but a wounded City went down with a fight in the closing stages, scoring through Aleksandar Kolarov’s free-kick and Nolito’s deft flick.

Other top stories

  1. Arsenal climbed to the top of the English Premier League table, leading Chelsea on account of goals scored. The Gunners registered a 3-1 win against Stoke City at the Emirates on Saturday. On Sunday, other title contenders such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be in action.
  2. Barcelona cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win against Osasuna but Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid showed no signs of slowing down and held on to their six-point lead at the top with a 3-2 win against Deportivo la Coruna. Madrid have now set a new record with 35 unbeaten games on the trot. 
  3. In the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich climbed above early pace-setters RB Leipzig to get to the top of the table on goal difference after thrashing Wolfsburg 5-0 on Saturday. The other title contenders, Borussia Dortmund also dropped points.
  4. The French League 1 will witness a battle for the top spot late Sunday evening as reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain face OGC Nice at the Parc de Princes.
  5. Atletico de Kolkata stunned table-toppers Mumbai City FC 3-2 in the first leg of the first semi-final at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium. All the goals came in the first half of the contest and ATK talisman Iain Hume netted a brace. Mumbai will miss the services of marquee signing Diego Forlan for the second leg, who saw red deep into the contest. 
  6. Major League Soccer chairman Don Garber has told former Manchester United great David Beckham that the deadline is edging closer for him to register for a Miami franchise. Beckham had stated that he intended to bring an MLS team to South Florida back in 2014. MLS will see two new teams in Atlanta United and Minnesota United in the forthcoming season.
  7. Tragedy-hit Brazilian first division side Chapecoence Real have got their rebuilding work under way by recruiting Vagner Mancini as manager. The 50-year-old manager is vastly experienced in the Brazilian game and has managed Santos, Gremio, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama previously.