Preview: Leicester City vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Premier League clash between Leicester City and Aston Villa, including team news and predicted lineups.

Surprise package Aston Villa will be looking to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season when they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

The Villans have won three games from three so far, including an incredible 7-2 victory over Liverpool last time out, while Leicester’s winning streak came to an end two weeks ago.

Match preview

Nearly a fortnight on from their historic win over the champions, many Villa supporters are still coming to terms with what they watched unfold at Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins scored a first-half hat-trick and Jack Grealish had a hand in five of the goals, as Dean Smith‘s men recorded one of the Premier League’s most shocking ever results.

That win came on the back of victories over Sheffield United and Fulham without conceding, leaving Villa second in the table with a game in hand to play on leaders Everton.

Going further back, the Villans are now unbeaten in seven league games, winning five of those and keeping a clean sheet in all but one.

Whisper it quietly, but there are plenty of parallels between Villa’s start to 2020-21 and Leicester’s memorable run to the Premier League title four years ago.

Like Villa, the Foxes won their opening three league games this term, culminating in a 5-2 win away at Manchester City to make it 12 goals scored in those three matches.

However, the momentum built by Brendan Rodgers‘s side was halted by West Ham United before the international break, with the Hammers winning 3-0 at the King Power Stadium.

On a weekend of massive shocks last time out, Leicester’s defeat went under the radar somewhat, but Rodgers has had a fortnight to work out exactly what went wrong in that game.

A home meeting with in-form Villa will be a tough assignment, though City do have a very good record in this fixture, winning four of the last five and drawing the other.

In fact, Villa have won just one of their 11 Premier League away games against Leicester, losing the last three in a row since a 5-0 victory in January 2004.

Leicester City Premier League form: WWWL
Leicester City form (all competitions): WWLWL

Aston Villa Premier League form: WWW
Aston Villa form (all competitions): WWWWLW

Team News

Leicester are still without Wilfred Ndidi and Danilo Pereira, while a number of others – including Jonny Evans, James Maddison and Daniel Amartey – are fitness doubts.

With Caglar Soyuncu also carrying a knock, Wesley Fofana is expected to come straight into the side for his debut after joining in a £30m deal earlier this month.

Jamie Vardy has had a two-week rest and will be aiming to add to a return of five goals in four previous meetings with Villa, including braces home and away last season.

As for the visitors, Wesley Moraes and Tom Heaton are their only two confirmed injury absentees for this short trip across the Midlands.

Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Conor Hourihane featured heavily for their countries over the international break, but Smith is unlikely to make any changes if it can be avoided.

In-form playmaker Grealish has been involved in seven goals in his last four Premier League games, having been involved in just six goals in his previous 23 appearances.

Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Castagne, Morgan, Fofana, Justin; Mendy; Under, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Luiz, Barkley; Trezeguet, Watkins, Grealish

We say: Leicester City 2-1 Aston Villa

Villa have not started a league campaign with four successive wins at any level since 1930-31 when finishing second to Arsenal in the top flight.

The Villans have plenty of momentum on their side, even accounting for the two-week break, but Leicester will be desperate to bounce back from their surprise loss to West Ham.

This is a fixture City tend to do well in and we are backing them to come away with all three points this weekend.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data