The England striker, without a club goal since September 10, bagged a treble as the Foxes’ early blitz inspired them to a thumping 4-2 victory over City
Jamie Vardy scored a hat trick as Leicester City put their recent poor form behind them with a 4-2 win over Manchester City at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes tore into their visitors from the start and were two goals to the good after only five minutes.
After three minutes, Riyad Mahrez laid the ball off to Islam Slimani, who slipped a pass between two defenders for Vardy to run on and bury an emphatic finish for his first Leicester goal in two months.
Manchester City looked uncertain in teeming rain in the Midlands, with Premier League champions Leicester rediscovering their missing intensity.
With five minutes gone the visitors were two goals adrift as Slimani laid the ball back to Danny Drinkwater just outside the area and his curling finish beat Claudio Bravo.
It looked as though Bravo should have done better, and the City keeper soon had something else to think about as Mahrez almost jinked his way into a shooting position to add a third.
Pep Guardiola without the suspended Sergio Aguero and Fernandino had brought in Fernando and Kelechi Iheanacho, with Pablo Zabaleta and Bakary Sagna replacing Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane.
His changed team were offering nothing in attack and could have found themselves three behind after 12 minutes when Slimani lifted an angled effort over the top.
But it was 3-0 to the champions with only 20 minutes gone when another long ball forward unhinged City and a sublime Mahrez touch put Vardy through to round the keeper and slide home his second.
Bravo's save after 23 minutes denied Mahrez the goal he deserved when the Algerian made space for a curling shot, but Guardiola's side began to belatedly exert some pressure.
But as the visitors worked space for a succession of crosses, Leicester centre backs Robert Huth and Wes Morgan were equal to everything and goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler contributed a couple of decisive punches clear.
Leicester almost made it four with another sweeping move at the end of the first half as Mahrez freed Marc Albrighton to cross for Slimani, who could not steer his header inside the far post.
Visitors City started the second half on the front foot as they tried to find a way back, with Pablo Zabaleta seeing a shot blocked by Christian Fuchs before a Kevin De Bruyne effort hit Marc Albrighton and came back to the Belgian, who shot wide.
Daniel Amartey smashed a volley high into the crowd before Guardiola's side came forward again and David Silva, De Bruyne and Iheanacho linked in a move that ended with Ilkay Gundogan shooting off target.
Raheem Sterling came on for Jesus Navas and Yaya Toure replaced Iheanacho up front as City rang the changes, before Slimani embarked on a solo run and fired in a shot that Bravo saved.
Gundogan came off with Nolito replacing him as City made their final change, and Leicester replaced Slimani with Shinji Okazaki soon afterwards.
With 12 minutes remaining, Guardiola's bad afternoon got worse as John Stones played a poor backpass and Vardy intercepted, sliding the ball home off the inside of the post from a narrow angle for his first Leicester hat trick, with goal line technology confirming that his effort had crossed the line.
Aleksandar Kolarov fired in from a free kick as Manchester City pulled one back, and in the last minute Nolito flicked home another to add some late respectability to the scoreline.
Scorers [Vardy 3', 20', 78', King 5'] [Kolarov 82', Nolito 90']
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