Ten-Man City Beaten By Villa
Ollie Watkins' strike midway through the first half was levelled by Harvey Barnes before the interval. A red card for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, for two bookable offences in the second half, was then followed by Bertrand Traoré's 87th-minute winner for the Villans. In the final seconds of a tense clash, a penalty awarded to City was stripped away by VAR too.
Following the departure of Brendan Rodgers after four years as Foxes manager, first team coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell oversaw matters on Filbert Way. Jamie Vardy and Papy Mendy were reintroduced to the XI as City searched for their first win in eight games in all competitions. The first of a 10-match run-in for Premier League survival was a tough assignment, pitting Leicester against Unai Emery’s rejuvenated Villa. Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, on what would have been his father Khun Vichai’s 65th birthday, was also in attendance for a big night in the East Midlands.
Before kick-off, legendary Club Ambassador Alan ‘The Birch’ Birchenall issued a passionate rallying cry over the PA system too. Leicester City know the predicament they’re in. The Blue Army were doing their bit in the stands and it was a determined start from the players as well – with Vardy’s heavy challenge on Ezri Konsa earning rapturous applause. The home side’s first opportunity started with a raking diagonal ball from Wout Faes. Barnes ran onto it and skipped into the area, tamely striking straight at Emiliano Martínez. Konsa then got in James Maddison’s way after a tidy through ball from Barnes on the left.
Maddison, typically, was a problem for Villa. His free-kick, aimed at Harry Souttar, had the visitors worried. Watkins put it behind, inviting a Maddison corner, from the left. The England midfielder floated it in and Souttar, the former Stoke City centre-back, was unmarked at the back post. He headed it down, with the ball bouncing back up and crashing behind off the outside of the near post. It was a huge chance and it felt worse moments later.
Midway into the half, Douglas Luiz – on the halfway line – gave it high to Emiliano Buendía, who had to control it with his chest. Some in the crowd suspected handball. Not given. Buendía then quickly pushed the ball forwards, central and low, into the feet of Watkins. The seven-capped Three Lions forward broke free and clipped it into Daniel Iversen’s bottom corner. There was a VAR check, not for handball, but for offside. It wasn’t the verdict City wanted. Villa were in front.
Hope had turned to unease. When Álex Moreno thrashed the ball narrowly wide, City breathed a sigh of relief. Luiz’s hit from 20 yards out then flew behind off Faes’ head. Leicester, though, were about to launch a carbon copy of a move they’d tried – unsuccessfully – about half an hour earlier. Faes, deep in his own half, launched the ball upfield. This time, Barnes took it on first time – and he was away. The Foxes winger hurtled into the box and wrapped his right boot around it, curling it in off the far post. The Blue Army leapt to their feet. A spell which felt like it was leading towards a Villa second had ended with a precious Leicester equaliser. The hope was back again.
Four to go until the break and Barnes was rampaging forwards again. He cut inside from the left channel and looked for the bottom corner – this time from further out and a tighter ankle. It took a deflection off Tyrone Mings too. In any case, it still required a solid stop from Martínez, but it was dealt with by the visitors. Into the second half and both sides went close early on. Moreno’s cross was nodded straight at Iversen by Watkins. Mings then did just enough to prevent Vardy from getting his head on Barnes’ ball into the opposite area.
Villa have turned into genuine contenders for European qualification over recent weeks and it often showed. Souttar and Faes in particular had to be alert at all times. On the hour mark, City were probing, pushing higher up. First Victor Kristiansen on one side, then Maddison on the other, Leicester’s players were geeing the fans up. They were on top at that point, but Villa's threat remained. A reminder arrived on 68 minutes as Moreno struck the post from an acute angle in front of the North Stand.
The task got tougher seconds later. Dewsbury-Hall was shown a second yellow for a challenge on Ashley Young. The home side would have to endure 20 minutes at 10 vs. 11. Jacob Ramsey lashed over in Villa’s first advance with an extra man. Young curled over from range also. The reaction from the Foxes dugout was to replace Vardy with Patson Daka, injecting fresh legs at the top of a 4-4-1 system. The Zambian had an early sight at goal, scooping the ball over the bar from the box’s left-most angle.
Later on, Iversen got down to send Watkins’ low drive behind. John McGinn’s bulleted effort was sent for a corner by Kristiansen’s left leg. Bailey’s left-footed curler fizzed wide. Another switch for the Foxes saw Maddison make way – passing the captain’s armband over to Wilfred Ndidi – as Ricardo Pereira entered the action. The game was about to get away from Leicester. Ndidi's stray pass came to Traoré, around 25 yards out, and he whipped it superbly into Iversen's top corner.
That wasn't the last flashpoint. The ball bobbled up in Villa's area. Barnes ran onto it. Daka got to the loose ball and Watkins bundled him down, stopping him from converting easily. Referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot, but it wouldn't ever be struck. VAR instructed Scott to consult the pitchside screens. He reversed his decision. No penalty and no points for the Foxes.
Major moment – Traoré's winner
The value of solitary points are hard to determine at this stage of a season. In usual circumstances Leicester will have wanted more, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's red card in the 70th minute meant they'd have been grateful for one. Bertrand Traoré's late hit, another late goal conceded, denied them anything.
Where does it leave us? – 19th
The Foxes remain 19th in the Premier League table. They're on 25 points, two adrift, with nine games to play.
Coming up – Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth are next up for Leicester, at King Power Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off). Then it’s a trip to Etihad Stadium to tackle Manchester City on Saturday 15 April (5:30pm kick-off). All times BST.