Aston Villa vs Leicester City Preview – Prediction, how to watch & potential line-ups   | OneFootball

High-flying Aston Villa and underperforming Leicester City are set to square off at Villa Park in a lopsided Premier League encounter on Saturday.

Villa’s renaissance under new boss Unai Emery continued with a dramatic 1-0 away win over Southampton last time out, stretching their unbeaten run in the top flight to four matches (W3, D1).

What once looked impossible is steadily turning into reality, as the Lions’ uplift in form has reignited their hopes of securing European football for the first time since 2010/11.

Emery’s men trail fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by eight points. But with a game in hand, they could turn into viable top-five candidates if they keep the momentum going following a fortnight of inactivity.

Unlike their hosts, Leicester’s bid to steer away from the dreaded relegation battle took another hit last time out as Brighton & Hove Albion scored late to hold the Foxes to a 2-2 draw.

Brendan Rodgers’ underachievers at least brought a disastrous four-match losing streak in the Premier League to a halt, but a one-point lead on 18th-placed Bournemouth is looking scary.

A hard-earned 1-0 win at Walsall in the FA Cup on Saturday may have bolstered the visitors’ morale a bit, yet with Jamie Vardy facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, it seems they cannot catch a break.

Match Preview

Aston Villa

Emery has outperformed Steven Gerrard in every aspect, with Villa managing five wins in seven Premier League games under his stewardship (D1, L1), as many as in their 24 previous outings in the competition (D6, L13).

Ominously for the Spanish manager, both times he’s failed to claim three points since assuming control of the Lions have been at home, with his side falling behind within 15 minutes on each occasion.

That fact they won this corresponding fixture in 2022/23 comes in handy, though it’s worth noting that it remains Villa’s only H2H home win over Leicester in their last four top-flight meetings at Villa Park (D1, L2).

Leicester City

Interestingly, 12 of Leicester’s 13 Premier League visits to Villa Park have seen both teams on the scoresheet, which is in line with the visitors’ penchant for high-scoring contests on the road.

The Foxes’ away league games this term have averaged a joint-league-high four goals per match, with Rodgers’ side netting 17 and conceding 23 across ten road trips.

In the absence of Vardy, Harvey Barnes could be Leicester’s danger man this weekend, given that he has tallied four goals and one assist in his five league starts against Villa.

Aston Villa vs Leicester City Potential Line-ups

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Young, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Alex Moreno; Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz; Emiliano Buendia, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey.

Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Danny Ward; Timothy Castagne, Daniel Amartey, Wout Faes, Victor Kristiansen; Youri Tielemans, Denis Praet; James Maddison, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Harvey Barnes; Kelechi Iheanacho.

How to Watch?

Aston Villa vs Leicester City, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.

Aston Villa vs Leicester City Prediction

It’s hard to see Leicester curtailing their winless league streak at Villa Park as we back the Lions to win what will likely be a keenly-contested match.

Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City