On Saturday, the King Power Stadium will host an intriguing Premier League encounter between Leicester City and Aston Villa. Both teams are keen to recover from recent defeats and regain momentum in the league. The match marks their first encounter since April 2023, when Aston Villa claimed a 2-1 victory over Leicester City.
Leicester City's Recent Form
Leicester City, who are back in the Premier League after a season in the Championship, had a mixed start to their campaign. After managing a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in their opening home fixture, they faced disappointment in their subsequent match. Last weekend, Leicester succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage against Fulham.
In that match, Leicester's Wout Faes scored an equalizing goal to cancel out Emile Smith Rowe's opener for Fulham. However, Alex Iwobi restored Fulham's lead, and despite Leicester's efforts, they could not find another equalizer. The defeat left Leicester without a win in their last league outing, which has heightened the pressure on them to perform well in their next game.
Despite this setback, Leicester managed to secure a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Cup. The match, played on Tuesday, saw goals from debutant Jordan Ayew, Stephy Mavididi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Harry Winks. This win was a positive sign for Leicester and their manager, Steve Cooper, marking the first victory of his tenure. Cooper was pleased with his team's "real dominance from start to finish," although he acknowledged that this performance came against a lower-tier team.
Cooper will be aiming to avoid becoming the first Leicester manager since Paulo Sousa in August 2010 to fail to win any of his first three league games. However, achieving this will be challenging given Leicester's recent record against Aston Villa. The Foxes have won just one of their last five home meetings with Villa, which will be a concern as they look to secure a crucial three points.
Aston Villa's Recent Form
Aston Villa, under the management of Unai Emery, started the season with a promising 1-0 victory over West Ham United. However, their form took a hit as they faced a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park against Arsenal last Saturday. Despite having the chance to take the lead, Ollie Watkins missed a golden opportunity in the first half, and his second-half header was brilliantly saved by Arsenal's David Raya. Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey eventually scored for Arsenal, condemning Villa to their first loss of the season.
Unai Emery has acknowledged the need for improvement, stating that "there is still work to do" and that his players need to "learn and improve more" in the coming weeks. With the added challenge of balancing domestic duties with Champions League football, Emery has set his sights on a top-six finish in the Premier League this season.
Defensive issues have been a concern for Villa, as they have now gone seven consecutive Premier League matches without a clean sheet, conceding a total of 15 goals. Emery will be keen to address these defensive frailties ahead of their trip to Leicester. Historically, Villa has struggled against Leicester, with only seven wins from their last 28 Premier League encounters with the Foxes. However, they have managed to pick up seven points from their last three visits to the King Power Stadium, winning two and drawing one, a significant improvement from their earlier record at the venue.
Head-to-Head and Key Statistics
In their last 15 encounters, Leicester City have scored in 13 of those matches against Aston Villa, highlighting a strong attacking record. Villa, however, have shown improvement in recent visits to Leicester, winning two of their last three games at the King Power Stadium. This is a stark contrast to their earlier struggles, where they won only one of their first 11 visits to Leicester, alongside four draws and six losses.
Leicester City's ability to bounce back from recent defeats and their historical performance against Villa will be put to the test in this match. Both teams will be looking to capitalize on this opportunity to secure a much-needed victory and build momentum for the rest of the season.
Conclusion
As Leicester City prepares to host Aston Villa, both sides will be eager to put their recent defeats behind them and make a statement in the Premier League. With Leicester looking to break their poor run against Villa and Emery's side aiming to rectify their defensive issues, this match promises to be an exciting and pivotal fixture in both teams' seasons.
Leicester City, buoyed by their EFL Cup victory, will hope to leverage their home advantage and turn their league fortunes around. Meanwhile, Aston Villa will seek to build on their previous successes at the King Power Stadium and address their recent defensive shortcomings. The outcome of this match could be crucial for both teams as they navigate the early stages of the Premier League season.
