An inspired second-half performance from Leicester City resulted in an unforgettable 3-2 victory over Aston Villa early Monday morning, maintaining their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
The Foxes remain in rarefied territory, amassing an outstanding 11 points from their opening five fixtures, with only Manchester City above them in the standings. Aston Villa, on the other hand, now sit 15th on the table, positioned where most pundits believed they (and their weekend opponents) would be throughout the campaign.
It was a result that will haunt manager Tim Sherwood and his team, with the former declaring he has “never felt this bad. Ever.” Villa were 2-0 up until the 72nd minute, before the home side’s relentless pressure became too much, eventually succumbing to their Midlands rivals in the final minute of the game.
Outstanding strikes from both Jack Grealish (39th minute) and Carles Gil (63rd minute) looked like they were going to be enough to end Leicester’s dream run of results, before Richie De Laet (72th minute), Jamie Vardy (82nd minute) and debutant Nathan Dyer (89th minute) all found the back of the net in a flurry.
Claudio Ranieri pulled the trigger early, injecting Dyer into the contest at half-time for Shinji Okazaki, the latter having is most ineffective game so far this season. Dyer was impressive, especially so when he netted a brave winner in the dying moments, heading past an oncoming Brad Guzan and instantly endearing himself to the Leicester faithful. His introduction, however, also allowed Riyad Mahrez greater freedom to drift inside, devastating the Villans.
Leonardo Ulloa and N’Golo Kante came on just after the hour, adding physical presence and allowing a more direct, incisive approach.
Formations
Unsurprisingly, Ranieri decided to revert back to the 4-4-2 system that has served him and his team so well throughout 2015-16, after flirting briefly with a 4-3-3 against Bournemouth. The personnel were largely the same, however, Gokhan Inler was given a first start for his new club in the centre of midfield.
Sherwood opted for a 4-2-3-1, altering slightly from a 4-3-3 that was largely expected. Joleon Lescott, as mentioned, partnered Micah Richards in the centre of defence, while Grealish and Gabriel Agbonlahor overcame injury and illness troubles to take their place in the starting lineup. Ashley Westwood and Carlos Sanchez were the deepest-lying midfielders.
A Game of two-halves.
It is at times a tired, old cliché in football, but the description is particularly apt when describing what transpired at the King Power Stadium. Despite a bright start by the hosts and nervy errors from captain Micah Richards and new man Joleon Lescott, Villa were the better side in the first-half.
Sherwood’s men enjoyed more possession than their opponents (completing 243 passes to 182), but were also more incisive. Although they narrowly led the shot count 8-6, five of these were taken inside the box, compared to only one by the Foxes.
The Villans also attempted more take-ons than their opponents (15 to 9), with the majority coming in advanced positions on the pitch. This figure demonstrated the torrid time Ritchie De Laet had in the opening 45 minutes.
Compare these graphics to the second-half, in which Leicester were the dominant team. The Foxes completed 190 passes to 170 and were allowed 15 shots compared to Villa’s three. Eight of Leicester’s attempts were inside the box, while it was now Villa’s shots that were all coming from distance. Incredibly, Leicester attempted 25 take-ons compared to Villa’s 15 following the break, illustrating the immense pressure the Villains were under in the second-half. 10 of these were attempted by Mahrez alone.
A battle between Leicester’s right side and Villa’s left.
Both sides fancied their chances on the same side of the pitch. It was clear that Villa wanted to heap the pressure upon De Laet, perhaps exploiting Mahrez’s dislike for tracking back as opposed to launching attacks. According to WhoScored.com, Aston Villa attacked down the left 40% of the time, compared to 31% on the right and 29% through the middle. With the likes of Mahrez and Dyer in tow, Leicester attacked down the right a staggering 49% of the time, as opposed to 28% on the left, and 23% in the middle.
Although Leandro Bacuna’s performance was littered by mistakes, it was actually Jordan Amavi having to withstand the majority of the Foxes attack. The below graphic illustrates the amount of tracking back Amavi had to perform, as opposed to his fellow fullback.
Villa’s ill-discipline put the team under pressure.
Villa committed 13 fouls to eight over the 90 minutes, but it was where the fouls took place that also put caused headaches. Eight of these fouls were committed in their own-half, while Leicester, remarkably, only committed two. In the second half, signalling the immense pressure they were under, Villa committed eight fouls to Leicester’s four, not allowing them respite further up the field and inviting the trouble around their own goal.
Conclusion
The changes made by Ranieri and an increased appetite for the contest shown by his players were vital in the turnaround in this match. Even when Gil scored Villa’s second, it was against the run of play.
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Sherwood’s men will rue their second-half performance, considering how well they played in the opening 45. By the manager’s own admission, ‘soft goals’ and ‘stupid’ play contributed to their own demise, a result of Leicester’s relentless attacking threat late in the game.
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