Aston Villa Vs Leicester City
Aston Villa Vs Leicester City Sunday, 5 December 2021 – 16:30 (GMT)
English Premier League
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker: WilliamHill
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 3 December 2021)
Preview: Steven Gerrard spent several seasons as a player under Brendan Rodgers during their time at Liverpool. Now managing Aston Villa, can the former Reds’ midfielder emerge victorious from his first tactical battle versus his former boss when Rodgers’ Leicester City rock up at Villa Park seeking their third straight league win at this venue?
English Premier League Betting at Betfair
Table of Contents
Aston Villa – Watkins to score for fourth successive home outing?
Steven Gerrard suffered his first defeat as Aston Villa manager on Wednesday, seeing his long 27-game unbeaten home league run – most of that garnered during his time in Glasgow with Rangers – snapped by Pep Guardiola’s Man City. However, that they came so close to snatching a result, going down 2-1 to the best team in the country last term, highlighted the instant impact of the former Liverpool midfielder.
Villa had won each of their first two matches under Gerrard, leaving it late to beat Brighton 2-0 at home before a clinical showing at Selhurst Park saw them edge out Patrick Viera’s improving Crystal Palace. It will be interesting, therefore, to see how this group responds to a first setback since opting for a change in the dugout, losing five league games on the spin immediately prior to the 41-year-old’s arrival.
One player who was approaching something close to top form even before Gerrard’s appointment was striker Ollie Watkins. His goal in midweek was his third in as many Villa Park run outs. Unfortunately, a couple of those were in losing efforts, and it is possibly worth noting that all three home defeats this season have been against sides currently sitting in the top half. Sunday’s opponents Leicester reside in eighth.
Leicester City – More magic in store from in-form Maddison?
James Maddison’s resurgence as a goalscoring force continued in midweek. The one-time England international netting for the third successive game as Leicester twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw away to Southampton. That result does, however, mean they have taken just five of the last fifteen points available to them (W1 D2 L2), with their only victory since mid-October against a streaky Watford.
Those goals conceded at St Mary’s do, however, mean that only three teams, all of whom occupy the bottom four spots in the table, have conceded more than the Foxes’ 25 in 14 Premier League games in 2021-22. It was also a thirteenth league game in a row without a clean sheet for Brendan Rodgers’ side, who last kept any team at bay in their 1-0 win over Wolves at the King Power Stadium on Matchday 1.
Away from home they are now unbeaten in four (W1 D3), scoring in all seven away outings so far this season. However, their only wins on the road have been against newly promoted outfits, Brentford and Norwich. Implying that a trip to Villa Park, where they haven’t kept a clean sheet across all of their last six visits in all competitions, could see their wait for a defensive shutout prolonged.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Aston Villa Vs Leicester City Betting Advice
After winning his first two matches in charge, could Steven Gerrard be set for a second successive loss as Aston Villa boss? This is certainly a fixture whereby history favours the visitors. Leicester are unbeaten in the league at this ground in three visits, following up a 1-1 draw in January 2016 with 4-1 and 2-1 victories in 2019 and 2021. James Maddison opened the scoring in the latest of those, meanwhile.
Aston Villa Vs Leicester City – Key Facts:
- Villa Park has served Sunday’s visitors well in recent seasons, with Leicester going unbeaten there in their past three visits, winning each of the last two.
- It is one clean sheet in eight Premier League games for Aston Villa, while Leicester City haven’t recorded a defensive shutout since the opening weekend of the season (13 games).
- Both teams have found the back of each other’s net in each of their last six competitive meetings at Villa Park, with Aston Villa shading these encounters by three wins to two.
Maddison is enjoying a purple patch right now after netting in each of his last three appearances for Leicester, who are looking to extend a four-match unbeaten away run in the Premier League. Aston Villa are looking much improved though, even this early into Gerrard’s tenure. With Ollie Watkins firing as well, a seventh successive meeting seeing both of these teams score against each other could be in the offing.
Best Betting Odds – Aston Villa Vs Leicester City
Aston Villa – 29/20 (WilliamHill)
Draw – 12/5 (PaddyPower)
Leicester City – 2/1 (BetVictor)
