Aston Villa vs. Leicester City
Venue: Villa Park
Kick off: 5:30PM
Aston Villa will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they welcome Leicester City to Villa Park this evening.
Steven Gerrard’s side will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday, while Leicester played out a 2-2 draw with Southampton on the same night.
Villa have shown huge improvement under the management of Gerrard, with the former Liverpool captain winning his first two matches at the helm at home to Brighton & Hove Albion and away to Crystal Palace.
There were also plenty of positive signs in Wednesday’s clash with Man City at Villa Park, but the English champions ultimately left with all three points courtesy of a 2-1 success.
Villa have won five, drawn one and lost eight of their 14 Premier League matches this season, which has left them in 13th position in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone.
Only Watford (nine) have actually lost more top-flight matches than the Lions, which is an indication of the size of the task facing Gerrard, who will be desperate to deliver a positive result ahead of next weekend’s huge game at his former employers Liverpool.
Villa have lost two of their last three Premier League matches against Leicester, though, including a 2-1 defeat in the corresponding match at Villa Park last season.
Leicester, meanwhile, will enter this evening’s contest off the back of a 2-2 draw with Southampton on Wednesday night; the Foxes twice had to come from behind at St Mary’s, with James Maddison’s effort shortly after the half-time interval proving enough to secure a share of the spoils.
Brendan Rodgers’s side were expected to once again challenge for a top-four spot this season, but they have struggled for consistency in the league, winning five, drawing four and losing five of their 14 matches, which has left them down in 10th position in the table on 19 points.
Leicester are only five points off fourth-placed West Ham United, though, and have now only lost one of their last six matches in all competitions, which includes two Europa League fixtures.
The Foxes are currently top of Group C ahead of next week’s huge game away to Napoli, and there is no question that Rodgers will be thinking about the contest in Naples.
The FA Cup holders cannot afford to take their eye off the ball in the Premier League, though, as they bid to stay in touch with fourth position entering the festive period.
Aston Villa possible XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Nakamba, Luiz, Buendia, McGinn, Young, Watkins.
Leicester City possible XI: Schmeichel, Castagne, Evans, Soyuncu, Thomas, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Perez, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
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