Jamie Vardy makes history against Manchester United; Manchester City go top of the table

Jamie Vardy scored for the eleventh game running to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record but Bastian Schweinsteiger crashed the Leicester party as the match ended a goal apiece. Manchester City regained their mojo after two consecutive defeats, with a commanding display to win 3-1 against Southampton.

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All eyes were on Jamie Vardy this matchweek and the Englishman didn’t disappoint, as the Foxes inscribed his name in Premier League annals by scoring for the eleventh successive match. Leicester raced out of the blocks and drew first blood in the 24^th minute, when Jamie Vardy finished off a classic counter-attacking move. Kasper Schmeichel assertively claimed the ball after a United corner-kick and threw it to Christian Fuchs on the right, who slipped in an inviting pass down the wing to Vardy, who rifled in a low shot past David De Gea into the left corner to send the King Power Stadium into raptures.

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It was end-to-end for the entirety of the first-half and the visitors got their equaliser in stoppage time, when Bastian Schweinsteiger sent his marker tumbling to the ground and powered a header home from close range to make matters level. After the break, both sides squandered golden opportunities, as the scoreline remained unchanged. But in the end, it was all about Jamie Vardy, a striker playing non-league football four years back, who broke the legendary Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record.

After a humiliating loss to Liverpool, Manuel Pellegrini’s men went all guns blazing against a visiting Southampton, who had their target man Graziano Pelle suspended. City pressed high as the Saints struggled to cope with the pressure and the hosts took the lead in the 9^th minute, when Raheem Sterling dispossessed Maya Yoshida on the left-flank and crossed it to Kevin De Bruyne, who poked it home from close range. In the 20^th minute, Fernandinho’s header was bundled off the line by Steven Davis, which clearly touched his hand but the referee failed to spot and awarded another corner. De Bruyne took the resulting set-piece and slipped in a pass across the field to Fabian Delph at the edge of the 18-yard box and the Englishman’s first-time shot was deflected in by Virgil van Dijk to make it 2-0.

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Shane Long got a goal back for the visitors after the break, when he nodded home Sadio Mane’s sumptuous cross from the right flank. With 20 minutes to go, Aleksandar Kolarov finished off a brilliant move started by Kevin De Bruyne, when the Serb smashed home a low shot into the far corner from a tight corner to kill the game off.

Fabian Delph, who started for the first time in City colors, was impressive in midfield while Yaya Toure, who has faced flak for his subpar performances, was lacklustre once again, despite being deployed behind Aguero. The Argentine, who returned to the starting line-up last weekend, limped off the field after he fell awkwardly and twisted his ankle and the City fans will be praying the latest injury to their talismanic striker isn’t anything serious. Kevin De Bruyne, bought in the summer from Wolfsburg for a hefty fee, seems to be worth all the money, after yet another standout performance.

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There was late drama at Dean Court, as Bournemouth came from two goals down to make it 2-2, before Ross Barkley scored in the 95^th minute to give Everton the lead. With seconds left on the clock, Junior Stanislas headed home his second of the evening to snatch a point for the home side, as the encounter ended 3-3.

Aston Villa slipped to their 11^th eleventh defeat of the season, as Watford survived a late scare to beat Remi Garde’s men 3-2 at Villa Park. Crystal Palace thumped strugglers Newcastle 5-1, while Sunderland climbed off the relegation spots with a 2-0 win over Stoke.

The deadly MSN trio was at it again, as Barcelona emphatically dismissed Real Sociedad, scoring four goals to no reply at the Camp Nou. Neymar opened the scoring with a tidy left-footed finish, before Luis Suarez smashed home a volley to double the lead. Neymar continued his goal-scoring spree after half-time to score his second, before Messi got his first goal in two months as the game ended 4-0.

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About Swadhrut Sathe

Football, simply put, is Life! A Steven Gerrard worshiper. Liverpool FC is my love. Have a soft corner for Real Madrid. Follow every major European league, especially the English Premier League. Watch out for the latest news, reviews, rumours and ratings on football. 'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I assure you it is much more than that'.