Kelechi Iheanacho was on target as Leicester saw off Aston Villa (Isaac Parkin/PA). Leicester eased their Premier League relegation concerns by twice coming from behind to secure a pulsating 4‑2 victory in a six‑goal thriller at Villa Park. Before kick‑off, Brendan Rodgers’ side were only outside the bottom three on goal difference, but the win moved them up to 13th place.
Aston Villa started brighter and took the lead after just nine minutes. Emiliano Buendía curled a shot from outside the box that hit the crossbar, and Ollie Watkins reacted quickest to flick the rebound home. Leicester responded quickly; a goal‑kick from Emiliano Martínez was rolled to Boubacar Kamara, who lost the ball to Iheanacho. Iheanacho’s pass was coolly finished by James Maddison on his first league start since the World Cup, equalising for the Foxes.
The first half remained end‑to‑end. Watkins missed a fine chance, failing to tap a Buendía cross into an open goal, and Buendía later hit the woodwork with a header from a near‑post corner. Villa’s second lead came in unfortunate circumstances for new‑boy Harry Souttar, who inadvertently deflected a low Watkins cross into his own net. Before the interval, Leicester restored parity when Harvey Barnes crossed to the back post for Iheanacho, and moments later Kamara again lost possession as Iheanacho fed Tete, who marked his Leicester debut with a well‑taken goal.
In the second half, Emery made a double change, introducing Alex Moreno and Philippe Coutinho. Leicester should have struck early when Iheanacho missed a one‑on‑one chance with Martínez. Tete also came close to a brace as the Foxes continued to press. Villa thought they had drawn level through Coutinho, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Leicester then gained breathing space when Moreno failed to clear a ball through the middle, allowing substitute Dennis Praet to finish simply past Martínez.
For Rodgers, who has previously out‑performed Emery in their meetings, the three points were vital, and Leicester’s comeback victory highlighted Villa’s defensive frailties throughout the match.
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