What once looked impossible is steadily turning into reality, as the Lions’ uplift in form has reignited their hopes of securing European football for the first time since 2010/11. Emery’s men trail fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by eight points. But with a game in hand, they could turn into viable top-five candidates if they keep the momentum going following a fortnight of inactivity.
Though, there are five teams above them heading into the weekend's matches, with Chelsea and Liverpool sure to improve in the second half of the campaign. READ MORE: Villa squad list revealed by Premier League after January transfer window READ MORE: Villa news live: Unai Emery press conference updates and Leicester build-up Here's what Sutton and Merson have predicted for this weekend's clash at Villa Park... CHRIS SUTTON Sutton told the BBC: "Leicester still haven't won a Premier League game since the World Cup and are getting a bit desperate, although at least their draw with Leeds stopped a run of four straight league losses.
Aston Villa vs Leicester City Preview – Prediction, how to watch & potential line-upsHigh-flying Aston Villa and underperforming Leicester City are set to square off at Villa Park in a lopsided Premier League encounter on Saturday. Villa’s renaissance under new boss Unai Emery continued with a dramatic 1-0 away win over Southampton last time out, stretching their unbeaten run in the top flight to four matches (W3, D1).
Match PreviewAston VillaEmery has outperformed Steven Gerrard in every aspect, with Villa managing five wins in seven Premier League games under his stewardship (D1, L1), as many as in their 24 previous outings in the competition (D6, L13). Ominously for the Spanish manager, both times he’s failed to claim three points since assuming control of the Lions have been at home, with his side falling behind within 15 minutes on each occasion.
Unlike their hosts, Leicester’s bid to steer away from the dreaded relegation battle took another hit last time out as Brighton & Hove Albion scored late to hold the Foxes to a 2-2 draw. Brendan Rodgers’ underachievers at least brought a disastrous four-match losing streak in the Premier League to a halt, but a one-point lead on 18th-placed Bournemouth is looking scary. A hard-earned 1-0 win at Walsall in the FA Cup on Saturday may have bolstered the visitors’ morale a bit, yet with Jamie Vardy facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, it seems they cannot catch a break.
In the absence of Vardy, Harvey Barnes could be Leicester’s danger man this weekend, given that he has tallied four goals and one assist in his five league starts against Villa. Aston Villa vs Leicester City Potential Line-upsAston Villa (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Young, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Alex Moreno; Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz; Emiliano Buendia, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey. Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Danny Ward; Timothy Castagne, Daniel Amartey, Wout Faes, Victor Kristiansen; Youri Tielemans, Denis Praet; James Maddison, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Harvey Barnes; Kelechi Iheanacho. How to Watch? Aston Villa vs Leicester City, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.
That fact they won this corresponding fixture in 2022/23 comes in handy, though it’s worth noting that it remains Villa’s only H2H home win over Leicester in their last four top-flight meetings at Villa Park (D1, L2). Leicester CityInterestingly, 12 of Leicester’s 13 Premier League visits to Villa Park have seen both teams on the scoresheet, which is in line with the visitors’ penchant for high-scoring contests on the road. The Foxes’ away league games this term have averaged a joint-league-high four goals per match, with Rodgers’ side netting 17 and conceding 23 across ten road trips.
Aston Villa v Leicester City preview: Team news, head - BBC
If they lose their next three games and then have to face the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Brentford, it's going to be hard. I'm going with Aston Villa to win this game. " Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester City Give us your Villa vs Leicester score prediction in the comments section READ NEXT Unai Emery proves Brendan Rodgers right as Leicester boss hits out Leicester City could be without six players for Aston Villa clash Matteo Guendouzi heads Aston Villa summer shopping list Aston Villa can raise £45m for Unai Emery's huge summer overhaul Villa can make statement transfer for Unai Emery as club 'open' to move Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.
Pundits disagree on Aston Villa vs Leicester City predictionFormer Premier Premier League stars Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have been giving their predictions for Aston Villa's clash with Leicester City this weekend. Unai Emery's Villa are looking to continue their winning run having defeated Leeds United and Southampton in succession, while Leicester City need to get back to winning ways to avoid falling further down the Premier League table. Brendan Rodgers' men are five without a win in the league and have lost their last two away games. Villa could climb into the top half with a victory with only three points separating them from sixth.
"Villa, in contrast, have won three and drawn one of their past four games and, on current form, they have to be favourites here. "But the Foxes still have some good players and James Maddison should be fit enough to start - he might just make the difference. " Prediction: 1-1 PAUL MERSON Merson told Sportskeeda: "Leicester are struggling at the moment and this is a big game for them. They have difficult fixtures coming up, and I don't see how they can avoid a relegation battle unless they get a couple of big results. "At this point, I'm looking at Leicester's fixture list and wondering what game they can win.
Pundits disagree in Aston Villa vs Leicester City prediction as
