Aston Villa will host Leicester City at Villa Park on Saturday, with both teams eagerly looking to get back to winning ways.
Aston Villa have picked up just one win from the last four Premier League games, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to secure European qualification for the next season, making the game vs Leicester City of utmost importance.
The Villans have been quite inconsistent this season, and Unai Emery will demand a strong performance from his players. Meanwhile, Leicester City are 19th in the league table, and they are staring down at relegation. The Foxes have lost four league games in a row, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly.
Aston Villa have been quite vulnerable at the back this season, and it will be interesting to see if Leicester can take advantage of their defensive issues and grind out a morale-boosting result here. Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Matty Cash, Jhon Duran, and Morgan Rogers are suspended this weekend. Meanwhile, Pau Torres misses out with an ankle injury. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Leicester City, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and hit Leicester on the break. Diego Carlos will start alongside Tyrone Mings in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana will look to break down opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side in the double pivot alongside Youri Tielemans, who will look to control the tempo of the game.
Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey will add flair and creativity to the side from the wide areas. John McGinn will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs Leicester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Konsa, Mings, Carlos, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, McGinn, Bailey; Watkins
Leicester City
The Foxes will be without Ricardo Perreira due to a thigh injury, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku due to a long-term knee injury, Mads Hermansen due to a groin injury, and Wilfred Ndidi due to a hamstring injury.
Leicester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Jakub Stolarczyk in goal. James Justin and Victor Kristiansen will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Villa on the break. Wout Faes will start at the heart of the defence alongside Jannik Vestergaard.
As for the midfield unit, Harry Winks will start alongside Boubakary Soumare in the double pivot. Winks will look to add composure and control to the side, and Soumare will look to break up the opposition’s attacking moves.
Jordan Ayew and Stephy Mavididi will start in the wide areas, with Facundo Buonanotte reprising the attacking midfield role. Finally, Jamie Vardy will lead the line for Leicester City vs Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Stolarczyk; Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen; Winks, Soumare; Ayew, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Vardy
Key Stats
- Leicester City have lost their last four matches in the Premier League.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Aston Villa have conceded 10 goals in their last five matches.
- Leicester have conceded 15 goals in their last six matches.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in four of their last six matches vs Leicester City.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The Aston Villa striker is our key player to watch out for, and the West Midlands club will depend on him to produce a defining performance here. Aston Villa have not been at their best, and they need to bounce back quickly.
Watkins has the ability to influence the game with his creativity and goalscoring ability. He could be the game-changer for his side here. It remains to be seen whether the English international can guide Aston Villa to all three points.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City
Neither side are particularly at their best right now, and this is likely to be a close contest. Both Aston Villa and Leicester City will be desperate for a win, and they are likely to try and outscore each other.
Aston Villa have the better set of attackers at their disposal, and they will certainly fancy their chances against a struggling Leicester side. The Foxes have been quite mediocre in their recent outings and Aston Villa are likely to pile further misery on them. A narrow victory for the home team is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Unai Emery and his charges.
