Aston Villa got their Premier League top-four ambitions back on track with a 2-1 win over Leicester.
Villa’s quest for a second successive year in the Champions League has been hamstrung by inconsistency this season, but they kicked off 2025 with an important three points.
Leon Bailey chose a good time to score his first goal of the season 14 minutes from time after Ross Barkley’s opener had been quickly cancelled out by Stephy Mavididi.
Victory moved Unai Emery’s men to within four points of fourth-placed Chelsea as they now break for FA Cup action.
The table makes much more miserable reading for Leicester, who remain in the bottom three after a fifth successive defeat.
Villa were missing the injured Jhon Duran and suspended Morgan Rogers, which equated to half of their Premier League goals for the season.
And their absences were missed in a terrible first half where Villa looked devoid of ideas and Leicester were happy to sit back and look to counter.
It was not until the second minute of first-half stoppage time that there was a shot on target, with Ollie Watkins’ ball across goal falling to Matt Cash on the edge of the area but his effort was palmed away by goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.
Leicester had their best moment early in the second half and should have led when the ball fell kindly to Mavididi, but the winger got his finish all wrong with the goal gaping.
Villa finally upped the ante and were rewarded with the 58th-minute lead.
Jannik Vestergaard’s poor clearance fell straight to Barkley on the edge of the box and the former England international drilled a low finish past Stolarczyk.
The visitors were level five minutes later as Mavididi atoned for his earlier miss by being the right man in the right place.
Leicester broke down the right with Jamie Vardy being superbly denied by Emiliano Martinez from Jordan Ayew’s cross but Mavididi was there to convert the rebound at the far post.
Villa were able to regain the ascendancy and went back in front in the 76th minute.
Ian Maatsen robbed the ball off Ayew, burst into the area and teed up Bailey to sweep home from close range.
Villa should have wrapped it up in the final 10 minutes but Bailey smashed another effort off the crossbar and then Emiliano Buendia’s follow-up effort was blocked and Watkins thrashed over from close range.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
