Premier League: Leicester stuns Villa with comeback victory

Football
Published 04.02.2023
Premier League: Leicester stuns Villa with comeback victory

Leicester City twice got here from a objective down in a frenetic first half to ultimately declare a beneficial 4-2 victory at Aston Villa in a Premier League thriller on Saturday.

It seemed like one other bleak day for out-of-form Leicester when Ollie Watkins gave Villa an early lead from shut vary.

James Maddison levelled quickly afterwards however Leicester’s new signing Harry Souttar then scored into his personal objective whereas attempting to defend a low cross from Watkins.

But Leicester surprised its hosts with Kelechi Iheanacho heading previous Emiliano Martinez within the forty first minute after which Tete marking his debut with a objective in first-half stoppage time after Villa carelessly conceded possession.

The second half was sedate by comparability however Villa did suppose it had levelled by Philippe Coutinho just for his effort to be dominated out for offside.

Leicester wrapped up its first league win since November within the 79th minute when Dennis Praet latched on to a Harvey Barnes by ball.

Victory lifted Leicester to 21 factors, three factors above the underside three, whereas Villa stay in eleventh place with 28.

“We thoroughly deserved to win the game, were dangerous going forwards and it was an outstanding result,” Leicester supervisor Brendan Rodgers stated.

“Our four goals were fantastic, we were very creative and we could have had five or six.”

When Leicester beat West Ham United simply earlier than the World Cup it appeared its early-season issues had been behind them. But it has slumped for the reason that restart of the Premier League with one level from a doable 15.

Pressure was mounting on Rodgers, however his crew responded impressively on Saturday – though it was a blended day for his or her two debutants.

Villa went forward within the ninth minute when Emiliano Buendia’s dipping shot struck the underside of the crossbar and Watkins was alert to volley within the rebound.

But three minutes later the hosts self-destructed when Boubacar Kamara misplaced possession and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall performed the ball to Maddison to complete on his first begin since that win over West Ham — a recreation during which he injured his knee.

Villa acquired its noses again in entrance when Watkins crossed low throughout the face of objective and Leicester’s Souttar, signed from Stoke City on Tuesday, inadvertently put into his personal objective.

Leicester hit again when Harvey Barnes performed a harmful ball into the world for Iheanacho to move dwelling.

Kamara was at fault once more in first-half stoppage time as he was robbed deep in his personal half and Iheanacho performed in Tete to go round Martinez to attain.

Philippe Coutinho had a objective disallowed for offside as Villa pressed for an equaliser, however Leicester gave themselves a security cushion when Praet was launched by Barnes to attain.