Preview: Aston Villa vs. Leicester City - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to widen their unbeaten location league tally to 10 matches, Aston Villa volition invited Midlands counterparts Leicester City to Villa Park for a Premier League clash connected Saturday afternoon.

The Villans were forced to share the spoils with Brighton & Hove Albion during their last contention of 2024, whereas the Foxes were defeated connected their ain spot by Manchester City to circular disconnected a calendar twelvemonth of mixed fortunes.

Match preview

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After a sobering day successful the North-East against Newcastle United connected Boxing Day, it appeared arsenic if Aston Villa would marque it 4 consecutive Premier League successes astatine their Second City basal connected Monday night, though South Coast opponents Brighton snatched a constituent precocious on.

It was the Seagulls who raced into a 12th-minute pb courtesy of winger Simon Adingra earlier strikes from England duo Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers enactment the Villans up successful the contest, nevertheless an effort during the closing 10 minutes from right-back Tariq Lamptey forced a stock of the points.

Winning conscionable 1 of their last quartet of top-flight battles anterior to the crook of the calendar year, Villa person dropped down to ninth spot successful the Premier League standings, though Unai Emery's troops stay firmly progressive successful the contention for the Champions League spots, with fifth-placed Newcastle United lone 3 points amended off.

The Villans would beryllium hunting down a first-ever Premier League crown during the 2nd fractional of the play if the rankings were determined purely connected location form, with the Second City giants collecting 19 points from 10 Villa Park bouts - lone Liverpool (22), Brentford (22) and Arsenal (21) person earned much astatine their respective bases.

Indeed, Villa are presently enjoying a nine-game unbeaten tally successful beforehand of their ain supporters successful the Premier League, with their lone decision successful the apical formation astatine location this play arriving connected August 24, erstwhile goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey secured a 2-0 triumph for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

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Following a cleanable commencement to his reign astatine the King Power Stadium - a 3-1 thrashing of West Ham United connected December 3 - caller Leicester City caput manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has since been fixed small crushed for festive cheer, with Saturday's visitors collecting conscionable the azygous constituent from their past 5 contests.

After a daunting travel to rubric favourites Liverpool connected Boxing Day, existent English champions Manchester City were connected the docket successful the East Midlands past clip out, erstwhile goals either broadside of the half-time whistle from Savio and towering Norwegian Erling Haaland secured maximum points for the struggling Citizens.

Enduring a four-match losing tally successful the apical flight, Leicester are dilatory losing their conflict to debar an contiguous instrumentality to the stresses of the Championship, with Van Nistelrooy's men languishing down successful 19th position, 2 points down a resurgent Wolverhampton Wanderers successful the comparative comfortableness of 17th.

Enjoying triumph during conscionable 1 of their 9 distant trips successful the part this season, lone Brentford and top-flight whipping boys Southampton person fared worse than Leicester connected the road, with the Foxes' lone occurrence distant from the East Midlands arriving astatine St Mary's Stadium successful October.

With a fig of attacking signings failing to deed the people truthful acold this term, Leicester person been highly reliant connected the acquisition and knowhow of nine fable Jamie Vardy to supply moments of magic, with the 37-year-old starring his side's Golden Boot contention boasting six Premier League goals.

Aston Villa Premier League form:

Aston Villa signifier (all competitions):

Leicester City Premier League form:

Team News

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Aston Villa are struggling connected the suspension beforehand up of this weekend's clash against Leicester, with Jhon Duran sidelined for different 2 matches owed to his alleged stamp connected Newcastle prima Fabian Schar connected Boxing Day.

Joining the Colombian connected the naughty step, goalscorer Rogers picked up his 5th yellowish paper of the Premier League word connected Monday night, meaning that helium is incapable to look the Foxes.

The Villans besides mislaid a cardinal prima to wounded past clip out, with Spanish centre-back Pau Torres forced disconnected due to the fact that of a troublesome-looking ft injury.

As a result, Brazilian Diego Carlos volition necessitate a caller spouse astatine the bosom of the Villans' backline, with Tyrone Mings representing the astir apt campaigner for the role.

Whilst Villa endure owing to a brace of suspensions, Leicester volition invited Jordan Ayew backmost to the matchday squad aft helium missed the Manchester City nonaccomplishment due to the fact that of yellowish paper accumulation.

The Foxes stay without the services of first-choice goalkeeper Mads Hermansen (groin), meaning that Polish stopper Jakub Stolarczyk should proceed successful betwixt the sticks.

Wout Faes has missed the past 2 Premier League games owed to an unspecified wounded but could instrumentality this weekend, though the likes of Ricardo Pereira (hamstring), Wilfred Ndidi (thigh) and Abdul Fatawu (knee) stay sidelined.

Aston Villa imaginable starting lineup:
Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, McGinn, Ramsey; Watkins

We say: Aston Villa 3-1 Leicester City

Unbeaten successful the Premier League astatine location since August, Aston Villa should beryllium highly assured of putting an out-of-form Leicester broadside to the sword this weekend.

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