Leicester City will host Aston Villa at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, looking to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Fulham.
Leicester City started the season with an impressive draw against Tottenham Hotspur, but they were beaten by Fulham away from home ahead of their latest Premier League outing against Aston Villa at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes did pick up a comprehensive victory over Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup earloer this week, and it remains to be seen whether they can build on that performance and grind out a win at home.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa will be disappointed with the performance against Arsenal, and they will look to make amends here. Unai Emery’s men picked up an impressive win over West Ham United in their season opener and followed it up with a comprehensive home defeat against Arsenal.
They will be under pressure to produce a strong performance here. Aston Villa will look to push for Champions League qualification once again, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points in these games. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Leicester City
Jakub Stolarczyk misses out with an ankle injury, and Patson Daka is sidelined with a foot injury here. Other than that, the Foxes have a fully fit squad to choose from. Leicester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Aston Villa, with Mads Hermansen in goal.
James Justin and Victor Kristiansen will start as the full-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and help out in the attack. Wout Faes will start at the heart of the defence alongside Jannik Vestergaard.
As for the midfield unit, Harry Winks will feature alongside Wilfred Ndidi in the double pivot. Winks will look to add control and composure to the side, whereas Ndidi will look to win the ball back for his side and break down attacking moves.
Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi will start in the wide areas, and they will look to hit Aston Villa on the counter with their pace and flair. Facundo Buonanotte will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Jordan Ayew might lead the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen; Winks, Ndidi; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Ayew
Aston Villa
The visitors will be without Boubacar Kamara because of a knee injury. Tyrone Mings is set to miss out with a similar problem, and Matty Cash has picked up a thigh injury. Aston Villa shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Leicester City, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Kosta Nedeljkovic and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch here. Ezri Konsa will start alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the Aston Villa defence.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side. Youri Tielemans will look to control the tempo of the game alongside the Belgian international.
Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers start in the wide areas, and they will look to add creativity and pace to the side. John McGinn will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa against Leicester City.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Bailey; Watkins
Key Stats
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between Leicester City and Aston Villa.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in four of their last six matches against Leicester City.
- Four of the last five matches between these two sides have seen them get on the scoresheet.
- Leicester City have scored at least once in each of their three matches in all competitions this season.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The Aston Villa striker is one of the best players in the Premier League, and they will look towards him to produce a strong performance here and guide them to all three points. The England international will look to get on the scoresheet here.
Watkins is more than just a goalscorer, and he will help create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates as well. The Englishman is our key player to watch out for, and the West Midlands club will need him to step up and deliver if they want to grind out all three points.
Prediction
Leicester City 1-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa are the better team on paper, and they will be disappointed with their performance against Arsenal in their last outing. The Villans will look to bounce back strongly, and Unai Emery will demand a reaction from his players. This is likely to be a close contest, but the visitors have the quality and experience to grind out a narrow victory.