Bertrand Traoré swept home a superb 87th-minute winner as Aston Villa moved into 7th place and extended their unbeaten run to six games.
Here is my post-match thoughts about the players’ individual performances.
EMILIANO MARTINEZ – 7.5
“‘Dibu’ will be disappointed not to come away with a clean sheet but made some important saves to deny danger men Maddison and Barnes early on. Swept up well when Vardy tried to get in behind and his distribution continues to improve every game.”
ASHLEY YOUNG – 8
“After a bruising battle with Chilwell just three days before, the signs were ominous for ‘Youngy’ when the electric Barnes breezed past him to level. The experienced old pro won the battle for the remainder of the match though and was on the receiving end of both of Dewsbury-Hall’s hefty challenges”.
Chambers 85′: Replaced Young late on and put in as steady a performance as ever. Always ready to step up when called upon, which is a crucial characteristic to have in a squad with ambitions of a European spot. 7
TYRONE MINGS – 8
“Mings has been back to his imperious best in 2023. Calm on the ball, strong in the air and always organising his defence, the left footed defender looks every inch the England international once more. Mings and Konsa are comfortably Villa’s best defensive duo since Mellberg and Laursen”.
EZRI KONSA – 8.5
“Vardy has proved a thorn in the side for Konsa in recent seasons, but the Villa man was immaculate on Tuesday night. The wily old Fox barely had a sniff against the intelligent defender, who must surely be on Gareth Southgate’s radar for a call-up”.
ÁLEX MORENO – 7.5
“A relatively quiet night going forward by Moreno’s usual high standards. Dealt with the threat of the roaming Maddison and marauding Castagne competently. Resembles an excellent bit of business from the club to acquire Moreno for such a modest fee”.
Digne 85′: Like Chambers, Lucas Digne has proved he is ready to step in when called upon as he hopes to wrestle his shirt back off Moreno. Could yet have a telling contribution this year should injury or suspension hit. 7.
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DOUGLAS LUIZ – 7
“A solid performance from the Brazilian star at the King Power. Kamara’s early season injury woes saw Luiz isolated in a defensive role that shackled his natural creativity. When Kamara has been out of the team under Emery though, Luiz and McGinn have complimented each other perfectly in an all-action midfield”.
JACOB RAMSEY – 6.5
“The young Brummie is a game-changer on his day, but couldn’t find his usual goal-scoring positions against a well-drilled Leicester side. Helped out well defensively and was replaced by Jhon Durán late on”.
Durán 79′: Lively cameo from the enigmatic young Colombian. Feels like his first goal in claret and blue is just around the corner and has proved to be a really useful option off the bench. 6.5
JOHN MCGINN – 7.5
“After an impressive start to the calendar year, McGinnn’s performances have been lifted further by his dazzling exploits for the Tartan Army over the international break. His bustling dribbles, full-back-seeking passes and dominance of physical battles with players far bigger than himself have made McGinn a joy to watch in recent weeks”.
EMILIANO BUENDIA – 8.5
“The little Argentinian magician finally registered his first assist of the season with a delicious through ball into Ollie Watkins for the opener. With a first touch as smooth as silk and passing ability as sharp as a blade, Buendía will hope this is the first of many assists with nine big games to go.”
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LEON BAILEY – 5.5
“It is not quite clicking for Bailey under Emery, although it is not for the want of trying. Ran hard against the Foxes, but end product once again evaded the winger who was replaced by the match-winner Traoré”.
Traoré 85′: Wasn’t on the pitch for long, but produced the defining moment of an otherwise close encounter. Traoré is capable of frustrating and delighting in equal measure, but it all feels worth it when he produces a moment of magic such as that late winner. Bertie’s wand of a left foot produced the rabbit-out-of-the-hat moment as Villa made it five wins from the last six. 9
OLLIE WATKINS – 9.5
“The once maligned forward continued to silence his doubters in emphatic style on Tuesday evening. Every facet of Watkins’ well-rounded game was on show against Leicester, with strength, composure, movement and even defensive awareness blighting the home side. Graham Scott initially deemed the intervention to be a penalty, but VAR replays showed he had timed his challenge to perfection. Watkins now has six goals in six consecutive away matches, the first player to do so in the Premier League since Agüero six years ago and will have one eye on van Persie’s record of nine”.
Subs not used: Sinisalo, Olsen, Revan, Dendoncker, Carlos.
Leicester City: Iversen, Faes, Kristiansen, Castagne, Souttar, Mendy, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Vardy (Daka 76′), Maddison (Ricardo 85′), Barnes.
Subs: Ward, Tetê, Soumaré, Thomas, Praet, Amartey, Iheanacho.
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AUTHOR | JOEY MILLINGTON
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