There has been plenty of talk this week about Aston Villa’s need for reinforcements in the January transfer window and it was clear when the team sheets were released today with four youth players named amongst the substitutes.
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba and defenders Sil Swinkels, Lamare Bogarde, and Kosta Nedeljković were all named by Unai Emery, who had five first-team players missing when Leicester came to Villa Park.
Leicester has a good record against Villa, winning 46 (compared to Villa’s 39) in 110 meetings, although the visitors have only beaten Villa once in their last five meetings.
Emery had spoken about the need to up the levels and the turn of the year gives hope that Villa can turn around their inconsistent season so far.
Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings came in for the injured Pau Torres and the suspended Morgan Rogers as Villa looked to make it 7 unbeaten in all competitions at Villa Park.
Leicester were hoping they could turn their fortunes around as they continue to battle relegation. They have won just won game since Ruud Van Nistelrooy became Foxes boss on November 29.
The visitors got off to a bright start without really looking a threat as the theme of Villas season, slow starts, continued.
However, it was Villa who had the first real chance of note when Matty Cash, out on the right, played the ball into Leon Bailey, who managed to play the ball back to former Foxes midfielder Youri Tielemans despite losing his footing. The Belgian International gave the ball back to Cash who played a first-time low cross into the box but Conny Coady deflected Ollie Watkins‘ effort wide of the goal.
Villa then had a shout for a penalty. Mings played a lofted ball for Watkins who turned his man before flashing the ball across goal but no one could get on the end of it. The ball fell to Boubacar Kamara who appeared to be brought down by Stephy Mavididi but the referee denied the Villa midfielder. Replays appeared to show minimal contact but VAR backed their man in the middle.
Leicester did have a chance of their own when Harry Winks sent a long ball into the Villa box finding Bilal El Khannouss who played the ball back to Mavididi but he got his shot very wrong as it went wide of the Villa goal.
The home side eventually broke the deadlock just before the hour-mark when Lucas Digne played the ball to Tielemans who in turn crossed the ball into the Leicester box. Jannik Vestergaard was first to the ball but his headed clearance fell to Barkley on the edge of the box who fired Aston Villa into the lead.
The lead was short-lived though as the Foxes were back level five minutes later. Watkins played a short pass to Mings allowing Jordan Ayew to pick up a loose ball and run at the Villa defender. His cross picked out Jamie Vardy who was denied by a stunning save from Emi Martinez but Mavididi was first to the rebound to pull the game level.
The winner came fourteen minutes from time when James Justin struggled with the press from substitutes Jacob Ramsey and Ian Maatsen and when he attempted to play out the latter beat Ayew to the ball, played a one-two with Ramsey and drove into the box before picking out Leon Bailey in the middle of the box who secured all three points for Emery’s side.
Villa had a chance to make it 3 late on when Bailey’s effort crashed off the cross-bar, falling to Watkins who could only fire his effort over the bar.
The home side only climb up to eighth but more remarkably, they are only four points off the top four.
Emery: “I am glad because we needed those three points after the draw with Brighton. We are targeting the top eight.
“The league is very difficult, there are lots of teams performing very well.
“How we played and how we achieved it, of course we struggled. Leicester competed very well and defended very well. We didn’t perform like we wanted but one reason was because they defended very well.
“After we scored one goal, we felt comfortable. We made a mistake with the goal we conceded. We reacted and scored. It was a difficult match, as we didn’t create clear chances.”
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