The Premier League Matchday 20 encounter between Aston Villa and Leicester will take place on January 4 at Villa Park in Birmingham. Aston Villa vs. Leicester: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia)
Matches – 25 (Premier League, 2023/24–2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 118;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 24%.
Predicted lineups for Aston Villa vs. Leicester
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez – Lucas Digne, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos – Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara – Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Leon Bailey – Ollie Watkins.
Leicester (4-2-3-1): Jakub Stolarczyk – Jannik Vestergaard, Conor Coady, Victor Kristiansen, James Justin – Harry Winks, Boubakary Soumare – Stephy Mavididi, Bilal El Khannous, Facundo Buonanotte – Jamie Vardy.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is indicated.
Aston Villa
The Birmingham side ended last year with a 2-2 home draw against Brighton. Before that, they suffered a heavy 0-3 away defeat to Newcastle on Christmas. It's worth noting that the club has managed only three wins in their last 11 Premier League matches (3 draws and 5 losses). Unai Emery's team is currently in 9th place in the standings, trailing the top four by 6 points.
Forwards John Duran and Morgan Rogers will miss the match due to suspensions.
- At least three goals were scored in 7 of Aston Villa's last 8 league games.
- Both teams scored in 11 of Aston Villa's last 14 home matches in the Premier League.
- In their last seven Premier League matches, the club has not won in the second half (3 draws and 4 losses).
Leicester
In the last round, the team lost 0-2 at home to Manchester City. This was their fourth consecutive league defeat. Overall, Leicester has not won in five straight Premier League matches, marking their second such streak this season. Ruud van Nistelrooy's side has dropped into the relegation zone, trailing the 17th place by two points. It's also worth noting that, along with Wolverhampton, the team has conceded the most goals in the league – 42.
Midfielders Abdul Issahaku and Wilfred Ndidi, along with defender Ricardo Pereira and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, will not play due to injuries.
- Leicester has won just one of their last 11 Premier League matches (2 draws and 8 losses).
- At least three goals were scored in 8 of the club's last 9 league games.
- Leicester has not won in the first half in their last seven Premier League matches (2 draws and 5 losses).
Aston Villa vs. Leicester: Match Prediction
Ruud van Nistelrooy had a successful debut with Leicester, starting his career at the club with a victory over West Ham (3-1). The second match also went well, ending in a draw with Brighton (2-2). However, the head coach then faced the realities of Leicester's situation, and his new charges lost four consecutive Premier League matches with an aggregate score of 1-12. It seems this losing streak will continue in the upcoming match, as Aston Villa urgently needs points and intends to return to the fight for a top-four finish.
The Birmingham side plays excellently at Villa Park. In their last 15 home Premier League matches, they have only lost to Arsenal, securing 7 wins and 7 draws. During this series, the team has scored at least two goals 11 times. Considering Leicester concedes more than two goals on average per match, Aston Villa should have no problem scoring two or three goals against the visitors. The match is likely to be high-scoring, as at least three goals have been scored in 8 of Leicester's last 9 away games in the current Premier League season. Additionally, while Leicester often scores away, they have only won one of their last 17 away league matches.
My prediction – "Home Win and Total Over 2.5 Goals"
