Leicester won their first game since November as they produced one of the high-scoring football results of the weekend in the Premier League. Early on, Ollie Watkins (9) scored for Villa after Emiliano Buendia’s effort hit the crossbar, setting the stage for a fierce, end-to-end contest. James Maddison (12) quickly equalized after Boubacar Kamara made a mistake, but Harry Souttar, who Leicester acquired on Deadline Day, had a terrible start as he deflected Watkins’ cross in for a goal. Aston Villa would score one more goal in the game, despite having 63 percent of the possession and 19 shots. Following his FA Cup goal against Walsall, Kelechi Iheanacho (41) headed in Leicester’s second equalizer while going unnoticed. The Foxes then unexpectedly went ahead with the final kick of the first half thanks to another January addition, Tete (45+2).
Although Aston Villa dominated the second half and produced some excellent forward football, a late error allowed Leicester to score a fourth. Due to Alex Moreno’s erratic driving, Dennis Praet (79) finished ahead of Emi Martinez. Leicester now sits in 13th place with 21 points after their first Premier League victory since before the World Cup break. They have now moved three points ahead of the bottom two positions. With 28 points, Aston Villa is still in 11th place.
Watkins gave Aston Villa the ideal start. Right before cutting the ball to Buendia at the top, Leon Bailey drove down the right wing. His curling attempt hit the crossbar, but Watkins was quick to seize the rebound and lift it over Danny Ward. But when Leicester tied the score three minutes later, Aston Villa found themselves in trouble. After catching Emiliano Martinez’s short pass, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall immediately pursued Boubacar Kamara. Iheanacho picked up the ball that was stolen from his feet and then chose Maddison to his left. Before converting, the England international maintained composure as Martinez and Ezri Konsa drew closer.
The next three second-half chances for Aston Villa were enormous. Following Buendia’s quick pass, Watkins was unable to convert before Bailey’s long-range shot drew an incredible save from Ward. Buendia then struck the post once more. Villa’s second lead was the result of a stroke of luck. Watkins was located by Lucas Digne not far from the region. Souttar’s outstretched foot stopped the ball from going through the six-yard box and into his own net. The pendulum shifted once more, and Leicester then tied the score once more. Victor Kristiansen, a recent addition to Leicester, had picked up Harvey Barnes to send in a fizzing cross from the left, and Iheanacho was waiting unmarked with a diving header.
Tete put Leicester ahead with the final kick of a thrilling first half. Iheanacho’s through ball to the Shakhtar Donetsk loanee, who avoided Martinez’s approach and scored the goal, was excellent. Even if the goals did not come as easily after the half, the passion did not abate. Aston Villa lost the ball immediately after receiving it. Iheanacho was one on one with the goalkeeper, but his shot missed the target. Chances for either side kept decreasing. Watkins barely glanced the ball wide after Ward produced an outstanding save early in the second half. Tete’s goal gave him confidence as well, but two excellent shots missed the target.
Philippe Coutinho, who came on for Aston Villa at halftime, thought he had tied the score in the 71st minute, but it was disallowed for offside. Douglas Luiz retrieved the errant ball after Leicester successfully cleared the opening corner. He managed to locate Coutinho in a crowded location, and he sneaked the ball inside. However, Luiz was in opposition to the flag. The Foxes were able to score their fourth goal despite all of Aston Villa’s skillful forward play, which was expertly defended by Leicester in the second half. Moreno should have easily intercepted Barnes’ forward pass, but the full-back lacked appropriate control. As Martinez was being circled by the ball, Praet was waiting to pounce.
“I believed the game was one that we deserved to win handily. Going forward, we were extremely dangerous, and I believed this was an excellent outcome for us,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. “The team has a great sense of unity. You can predict what will happen in any Premier League game, especially one played away from home. There will be times when you don’t have the ball or are under pressure; just maintain your composure.”
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