Aston Villa opened the year on the right foot as they managed to defeat Leicester City 2-1 at Villa Park in the 20th round of the Premier League. The match, which had a rather lukewarm first half, was really action-packed in the second, full of decisive plays and outstanding performances. This victory underlines the good form of the Villans at home and increases their confidence in the fight for the top positions.
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Barkley shines and opens the scoring
First half with few opportunities, Aston Villa did not expect to see changes that even included an injury to their captain, John McGinn, replaced by Jacob Ramsey. Even so, early on, the team was not finding its rhythm, and only a few attempts managed to be elaborated without much danger for the opposing goalkeeper.
It was in the second half that the quality showed up for Villa. A rebound off the box was pounced on by Ross Barkley in the 58th minute, and a wicked, inch-perfect volley later, the ball was nestled in the back of the net. The goal brought new life to this encounter and set the stage for a high-intensity match but lasted for only a few moments.
Leicester responds promptly
In five minutes, Stephy Mavididi was allowed to stay at the far post unmarked to slot in the equalizer. It was a counterattack led by Jordan Ayew, who had earlier been at Villa and was on hand to present Mavididi with a perfect through ball. A goal that brings Leicester back into the mix of the teams scrambling out of the relegation zone.
Maatsen and Bailey seal the deal
Forced into some tactical changes, Unai Emery introduced Ian Maatsen and Emi Buendía. It was the former who conjured the moment of magic, stealing the ball high up the pitch, conducting a brilliant team play, and delivering the cross to Leon Bailey, who finished with aplomb in the 76th minute. The win was sealed and Bailey's first of the season was a strike to underline how substitutions changed this match.
Unbeaten run and future goals
With this victory, Aston Villa extended their unbeaten run at home in the Premier League to ten matches, further cementing Villa Park as a fortress. Coach Unai Emery hailed the result and underlined the importance of the fans: "I'm very happy because we needed to secure these three points to start the second half of the season with the motivation to be in the top ten and European positions."
Emery also emphasized the influence of the supporters: "We are trying at Villa Park to feel strong and comfortable with our supporters, and we are trying to play with energy. We need to transmit that to our fans and stay positive." He added that the same intent is expected in future away matches, including those against Everton and Arsenal.
Leicester struggles at the bottom
While Aston Villa is rejoicing in their good form, seated eighth with 32 points, Leicester faces the grim reality. Five successive defeats in the Premier League have kept the Foxes in the relegation zone with a total of 14 points. The defense inconsistencies continued, adding more stress on coach Dean Smith.
The statistics speak for themselves: Leicester has kept only one clean sheet in their last 21 league matches. If they are to stay off the drop zone, things have to change- fast.
A historic double
This also means that for the first time since the 2003/04 campaign, Aston Villa has beaten Leicester in both league meetings in a single season. For the Villans, the result confirms their ambition to grab a spot in European competitions.