MANCHESTER City’s defense disintegrated as Jamie Vardy’s hat trick powered Leicester to a 4-2 win that delivered an emphatic response to the team’s critics Saturday in the English Premier League.

    With his first treble since his days playing for Fleetwood in the fifth tier in 2012, Vardy ended a 16-game goal drought in all club competitions.

    “We just wanted to make sure you saw the team fight for the cause,” Vardy saw. “We have definitely done that.”

    The striker took only three minutes to rediscover his scoring touch against Pep Guardiola’s side and City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was beaten again inside two minutes by Andy King. Both of City’s goals only came once Vardy eased Leicester into a four-goal lead, with Aleksandar Kolarov and Nolito scoring in the last eight minutes.

    On a weekend when Leicester faced the possibility of dropping into the relegation zone of the league it won in May, Claudio Ranieri’s team halted a five-game winless run and moved four points clear of danger.

    City remains four points behind leader Arsenal in fourth place but has collected only 12 points from a possible 27 in its last nine games.

    “It’s not about the system,” City defender Pablo Zabaleta said. “We played with four at the back today, sometimes we play with three, and we know exactly what we have to do on the pitch. It is more about concentration.

    “We know the risk we take every game because we are a very attacking team, and we want to attack all the time and create chances ... but of course at the back when you give space you have to concentrate on the players that you can’t let run easily.”

    “I have to look inside myself — what I have to do — and they have to follow me,” City manager Guardiola said. (SD-Agencies)