Leicester’s new boys breathed life into their battle for survival as the Foxes exploited some dreadful Aston Villa defending to record their first league win since November.
All three of their January signings, Victor Kristiansen, Harry Souttar and Tete, made their league debuts and while Tete scored the third goal, it was Kristiansen who produced a man-of-the-match display at left-back.
Souttar was a little less assured yet the Australia centre-back still made some crucial interceptions in the second half when Villa were piling on the pressure.
The home side twice took the lead through Ollie Watkins, the second a big deflection off Souttar, but were undone by poor defending for all four goals, with James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho, Tete and substitute Dennis Praet on target for the visitors. There were isolated boos at full-time and Villa now face matches against Manchester City and Arsenal.
This was a result few anticipated, with Unai Emery’s man having taken 16 points from a possible 21, while Leicester had just one point from their previous five matches. And the warning signs were there for Leicester in the second minute when Leon Bailey waltzed past Kristiansen and cut the ball into the danger zone, forcing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to make a vital interception.
And despite Kristiansen’s rapid improvement, his team fell behind in the ninth minute. Bailey found Emiliano Buendia on the edge of the box and when the Argentine’s superb curling effort hit the underside of the bar, Watkins reacted quicker than Timothy Castagne and produced a controlled finish on the volley.
Yet the home side’s lead lasted only three minutes. As Villa tried to play out from the back, Boubacar Kamara was robbed inside his own area by Dewsbury-Hall. The ball broke to Iheanacho and when he found Maddison, the midfielder deceived Ezri Konsa before firing home. Not surprisingly, Maddison milked the moment, staring into the Villa fans with his hands to his ears.
Villa were looking more cohesive yet struggled to make their superior play count. A clever move involving Douglas Luiz, Lucas Digne and Buendia produced a chance at the far post for Watkins, who someone fluffed his effort two yards out, and Kristiansen rescued Leicester.
Then after Danny Ward had turned Bailey’s low strike behind and from Luiz’s corner, Buendia found space at the near post and was unlucky to see his header hit the bar.
Unai Emery was cursing but he need not have worried. Just after the half-hour, his team deservedly regained the lead. Again Buendia and Digne combined to tee up Watkins, whose shot took a large deflection off Harry Souttar and left Ward helpless. At that stage, Souttar’s debut was turning into a nightmare, and his team were flagging.
Yet somehow, they were ahead by half-time. First Iheanacho headed them level at the far post, converting Harvey Barnes’ cross after Tyrone Mings’ cross had fallen perfectly for the winger.
Then after Kamara had again lost the ball in midfield, Tete burst in off the right flank. Iheanacho’s pass was delightful and with Villa appealing for offside, the Brazilian slipped past Emiliano Martinez and fired his side in front.
Only Iheanacho will know how he didn’t score Leicester’s fourth in the opening seconds of the half. Played in by Youri Tielemans, the Nigerian was one on one with Martinez but shot wide. Emery had hooked Digne and Jacob Ramsey at half-time and Buendia tried to respond, forcing Ward to turn behind his drive.
Then one of the substitutes, Philippe Coutinho, sent in a dangerous cross that Wout Faes cleared for a corner under pressure. But Leicester were still a threat and Tete guided an effort just wide after getting the better of Digne’s replacement Alex Moreno.
Moreno was giving Leicester a problem at the other end, though, and when he and Buendia worked together to set up Bailey, the Jamaican delayed his shot, allowing Faes to block and Castagne to clear.
Souttar had looked shaky but he showed his worth midway through the second half with a vital challenge to deny Watkins, who had been released by Buendia. Moments later Luiz’s corner was cleared to the edge of the box, where Coutinho volleyed over.
Coutinho thought he had equalised with 20 minutes remaining when his near post effort was helped into the net by Ward, only for the offside flag to deny the Brazilian.
Leicester had taken off Iheanacho and Maddison and were right under the cosh at this stage. Ward looked nervy and Souttar, Faes and sub Nampalys Mendy were all forced into desperate challenges to hang in to their lead. So it came as a huge surprise when Leicester scored their fourth – from another defensive error.
Barnes escaped sub Matty Cash and his deflected chip wrong-footed Moreno, who found himself in an embarrassing tangle and let in Praet – the replacement for Maddison – who rounded Martinez and scored.
KingEric
1
Why Villa? Why