Match ends, Aston Villa 2, Leicester City 1.
Aston VillaAston Villa2LeicesterLeicester City1
- Aston Villa move up to 11th in the table
- Villa win for only second time at home
- Leicester winless in 10 league games
- Foxes finish with 10 men for second straight game
Aston Villa secured back-to-back Premier League wins as Alan Hutton's first goal for the club added to bottom side Leicester City's troubles.
Leonardo Ulloa stabbed the Foxes ahead after Villa keeper Brad Guzan spilled Riyad Mahrez's deflected shot.
Ciaran Clark headed Villa level from Ashley Westwood's free-kick before the latter went off injured.
Hutton netted after Christian Benteke's chipped pass, before Paul Konchesky was sent off for Leicester.
City, four points from safety, will feel aggrieved they finished with 10 men after former Liverpool defender Konchesky's clash with match-winner Hutton.
The duo squared up after Konchesky's 80th-minute challenge on the Villa full-back.
But while Hutton escaped with a yellow card, Leicester finished with 10 men for the second successive game.
| Former Liverpool defender Jim Beglin, BBC Radio 5 live at Villa Park |
|---|
| "A very big win for Aston Villa. The home side have got some momentum now and the return of Christian Benteke has given them a huge boost. Leicester were as plucky as ever, especially when they went down to 10 men, but they were always going to be up against it and for me Villa were worthy winners." |
Leicester, without a win in their last 10 top-flight games, pushed their opponents all the way.
But it does not get any easier for Nigel Pearson's side, with a home match against in-form Manchester City next.
Villa climb two places up the table to 11th after only a second home league victory of the campaign.
It was a hard-earned three points for Paul Lambert's men, who scored two goals in a league game for only the second time this season.
These two teams had managed just 22 goals in 30 top-flight games between them this season yet both found the net inside the opening 20 minutes thanks to some poor defending.
Leicester struck first - Ulloa pouncing from close range in the 13th minute after Guzan had spilled Mahrez's deflected shot into the path of the Argentine to gift the former Brighton forward his sixth goal since arriving for £8m in the summer.
But the Foxes, who have managed just two top-flight clean sheets this season, led for just four minutes.
Westwood directed a free-kick into the visitors penalty area, Leicester's defence failed to track the move of Clark who was able to head his first goal since September 2012.
Villa prodded and probed the Foxes defence, with Benteke in menacing form throughout despite failing to find the net.
But the hosts suffered a setback when they lost midfielder Westwood shortly before the interval.
The 24-year-old was carried off on a stretcher with what appeared to be a serious knee injury after being clattered from behind by Jamie Vardy - the Leicester forward punished with a yellow card.
Tom Cleverley, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Benteke spurned further chances for Villa before the unmarked Hutton rifled home a 71st-minute winner following Benteke's chipped pass over the Leicester defence.
The spirited visitors pressed for an equaliser even after Konchesky's red card, and substitute Chris Wood fired narrowly wide in the closing seconds, while substitute David Nugent was denied by an excellent save.
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert: "Have we turned the corner? You're never quite sure but we're on a little bit of a run.
"We went a goal down against the run of play but some of the football we played was fantastic. I'm not one for statistics but someone told me we had 72% of the play.
"We have got to try and get this massive football club up the table."
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson: "It's been another tough day for us in the sense that having gone a goal up, we conceded a really poor equaliser.
"Then after that it was a story of us not making the most of our own situations. The winning goal was disappointing in terms of awareness.
"It remains frustrating for us. We have got to keep ourselves going at the moment. We'll keep plugging away."
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Guzan
- 21HuttonBooked at 81mins
- 5Okore
- 6Clark
- 23Cissokho
- 8CleverleySubstituted forGrealishat 62'minutes
- 15WestwoodSubstituted forRichardsonat 44'minutes
- 24C SánchezBooked at 74mins
- 28N'ZogbiaBooked at 34minsSubstituted forBacunaat 76'minutes
- 20Benteke
- 11AgbonlahorBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 7Bacuna
- 17Herd
- 18Richardson
- 31Given
- 34Lowton
- 37Robinson
- 40Grealish
Leicester
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Schmeichel
- 17Simpson
- 27WasilewskiBooked at 71mins
- 18Moore
- 3KoncheskyBooked at 80mins
- 26Mahrez
- 8James
- 19CambiassoBooked at 59mins
- 15SchluppBooked at 60minsSubstituted forAlbrightonat 78'minutes
- 23UlloaSubstituted forNugentat 45'minutes
- 9VardyBooked at 41minsSubstituted forWoodat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Drinkwater
- 10King
- 11Albrighton
- 12Hamer
- 14Powell
- 35Nugent
- 39Wood
- Referee:
- Craig Pawson
- Attendance:
- 27,692
Match Stats
Home TeamAston VillaAway TeamLeicester
- Possession
- Home65%
- Away35%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away4
- Corners
- Home5
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, Leicester City 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. Chris Wood (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by David Nugent.
Booking
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa).
Post update
Marcin Wasilewski (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Esteban Cambiasso (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Marc Albrighton with a cross.
Post update
Attempt missed. Kieran Richardson (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jack Grealish.
Post update
Offside, Aston Villa. Jack Grealish tries a through ball, but Gabriel Agbonlahor is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabriel Agbonlahor with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Jores Okore.
Post update
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Kieran Richardson.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Matthew James (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Booking
Alan Hutton (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
Dismissal
Paul Konchesky (Leicester City) is shown the red card.
Post update
Alan Hutton (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Paul Konchesky (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Marc Albrighton replaces Jeffrey Schlupp.
Post update
Jores Okore (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Chris Wood (Leicester City).
