Leicester 1 Aston Villa 2 - Report

Exiled to Turkey by Steven Gerrard last summer and quiet since making his return on transfer deadline day, the winger was the unlikely hero in keeping Villa’s charge toward Europe under Unai Emery on track with a brilliant winner at Leicester.

With his second touch after coming on five minutes from time, he lofted a 25-yard effort over goalkeeper Daniel Iversen with apparently effortless ease to secure Villa’s sixth win in eight Premier League away matches since Emery replaced Gerrard in November, and move them up to seventh.

Traore's first Premier League goal in nearly two years ensured his team were not left frustrated by failure to take full advantage of the playing against 10 men for the final portion of the match after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall received two swift bookings.

There was still late drama as Ollie Watkins, who had seen his opener cancelled out by Harvey Barnes’ leveller, was adjudged to have fouled Patson Daka in the box and the managerless Foxes were awarded a stoppage time penalty.

But referee Graham Scott overturned his decision after consulting the pitchside monitor and Villa held on for the points to continue their remarkable march up the table under Emery.

This was their 10th win in 16 matches since the Spaniard took charge and while their performance again could not be described as perfect, they are currently a team buzzing with confidence who consistently find a route to victory.

Leicester caretaker bosses Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell made two changes to the team beaten 2-1 at Crystal Palace, the defeat which decided Brendan Rodgers’ fate.

That included a first Premier League start since January for Jamie Vardy and he got the crowd to raise the volume early by charging down Ezri Konsa clearance behind for a goal kick.

Harvey Barnes then had the first attempt on goal of the night and while his effort was easy for Emi Martinez, it was the hosts asking all of the early questions.

Villa had a scare when Watkins went down clutching his knee after trying to stop Harry Souttar reaching James Maddison’s free-kick. From the resulting corner, they received a major let-off when Souttar escaped the attentions of Konsa only to head weakly against the woodwork when he arrived to meet the ball unmarked at the back post.

But soon Watkins was back on his feet and doing what he had done in the previous five away matches by putting the ball in the net.

Villa went from back to front in what felt like the blink of an eye, Luiz flicking Konsa’s pass to Buendia, who fired the ball to Watkins. The striker still had plenty of work to do from that point with Timothy Castagne and Wout Faes breathing down his neck but he held them off before rolling a finish beyond Iversen and into the bottom corner, the goal standing after a VAR check for offside.

Leicester were rattled and Alex Moreno drove wide after the hosts failed several times to clear the lines, with Luiz then seeing an effort deflected over.

Yet just as they had at Villa Park in February, the Foxes found a way back into the game. The equaliser was annoyingly simple from Villa’s point of view but Barnes’ control was impressive as he sent Faes’ long pass inside Ashley Young and then raced beyond the Villa right-back before curling a finish in off the far post.

By the break the hosts would have been ahead were it not for the reactions of Martinez, who was able to adjust and save with his legs after another Barnes shot, this time from distance, had taken a big deflection of Mings.

Barnes was proving a menace and was within inches of picking out Vardy with a cross early in the second half after Young had miscued a defensive header. Souttar was then in the right place at the other end to cut out a low Ramsey cross, headed toward Watkins.

Both teams were taking it in turns to push and probe in attack, without being able to find the telling ball. Buendia thought he had when sending a pass through the legs of Castagne to set Moreno racing into the box but the Spaniard opted to shoot, hitting the post from a tight angle when crossing was almost certainly the better option.

With 20 minutes to go the hosts were reduced to 10 as Dewsbury-Hall saw red. Booked just minutes before for bringing down Young to halt a Villa counter, the midfielder caught the same player late and could have few complaints when referee Graham Scott reached for his pocket again.

Jacob Ramsey shot over from Buendia’s lay-off as Villa looked to quickly make the advantage count, with Young then curling an effort off target from outside the box.

Iversen made his first save of the night when he denied Watkins with his legs with McGinn then seeing an effort deflected over and Bailey curling wide from distance.

Traore was one of three players introduced with five minutes to go and he had an instant impact, sending Ndidi’s misplaced pass over Iversen with his first touch.

Scott then pointed to the spot after Daka fell in a scramble but replays showed it was the Leicester man who had clattered into Watkins.

Teams

Leicester (4-2-3-1): Iversen, Castagne, Faes, Souttar, Kristiansen, Mendy, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison (Pereira 85), Barnes, Vardy (Daka 76) Subs not used: Iheanacho, Amartey, Pereira, Praet, Thomas, Tete, Soumare, Ward (gk).

Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Young (Chambers 85), Konsa, Mings, Moreno (Digne 85), Bailey (Traore 85), McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey (Duran 79), Buendia, Watkins Subs not used: Carlos, Dendoncker, Revan, Sinisalo (gk), Olsen (gk).