Rampant Leicester go top though Vardy streak ends

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) – Jamie Vardy’s record scoring streak ended but Leicester City’s improbable 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 pre-season relegation tips Leicester to reach the summit after 15 games and they responded in style 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 but drew a blank at the Liberty Stadium.

Two goals inside the opening 15 minutes from Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic, both created by Xherdan Shaqiri, condemned injury-hit City to defeat at a blustery Britannia Stadium.

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.

Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur drew for the eighth time of the campaign, 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion, after Dele Alli had given the visitors an early lead.

Bottom club Aston Villa drew 1-1 at Southampton and fellow-strugglers Norwich City lost 2-0 at Watford.

Champions Chelsea, wallowing down in 14th place, host Bournemouth in the late game.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)