Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Premier League, with Leon Bailey’s late goal earning a 2-1 victory over Leicester City.
The jamaican international netted in the 76th minute, pulling Villa’s lead back by one after Stephy Mavididi’s 78th minute equalising goal (he received the all-important th goal after Ian Maatsen’s cross).
Having kept the score level with only a handful of opportunities in the first half,
the game eventually came to life at the second half with Ross Barkley scoring the first goal for the Villans just before the hour mark.
Mavididi, who had spurned a golden opportunity to put Leicester ahead shortly after the half-way point,
atoned as he struck seven minutes into the second half,
but the Foxes failed to find a second reply after Bailey’s strike.
Loss puts Leicester in 19th with 14 points,
two shy of Wolverhampton Wanderers who is in 17th with 14 points,
while Villa is in 8th place with 32 points.
How the match unfolded
On either side, the first period saw little in either direction,
with Ollie Watkins’ deflected shot the closest to an open field until stoppage time.
Watkins’ cross caused trouble for the Leicester backline,
Stolarczyk had to produce a good punch to prevent Matty Cash’s shot from close range.
There was quite a start to the second half when Mavididi was unable to take the goal and the net cut open in the 49th minute,
followed by a clearance from Jannik Vestergaard landing to Barkley who finished from the edge of the box in the 58th minute.
But, the Foxes stage a comeback 5 minutes later with Mavididi. He converted on the rebound following a save made by Villa’s Emiliano Martinez from Jamie Vardy’s first shot.
But Maatsen excelled on the south wing to take the ball from the left hand side,
into the box then putting in the cross which Bailey finally swept home.
Aston Villa 2–1 Leicester City
