Leicester City moved top of the Premier League with a resounding 3-0 victory over Swansea City on a day when both Manchester clubs faltered.
Leicester, who began the day level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table, took the lead on five minutes when a corner was deflected home off Riyad Mahrez’s back.
The Algerian completed his hat-trick in the second half to send Claudio Ranieri’s side to the summit of the league.
Earlier in the day, Marko Arnautovic scored twice as Stoke tore Manchester City apart 2-0 at a chilly Britannia Stadium.
“In this game we are playing with the same players in the last three games,” City manager, Manuel Pellegrini, said, bemoaning injuries to Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero. “Maybe it’s the reason why we didn’t play with the energy that we need to win.”
As City dropped to third, Arsenal went to second — two points behind Leicester — by halting a three-game winless run with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland that saw Olivier Giroud score for both teams.
Joel Campbell gave the Gunners the lead in the 33rd minute before Giroud deflected a cross in first half stoppage time to bring the Black cats levelled.
The Frenchman later doubled his side’s lead in the 66th minute before Aaron Ramsey buried the game in added time.
Manchester United endured a fifth 0-0 draw in nine games in all competitions as West Ham frustrated Louis van Gaal’s fourth-place team.
