Premier League preview and odds: Aston Villa vs Leicester City

Published on: 15/01/2016

Premier League preview and odds: Aston Villa vs Leicester City

January 16, 2016 15:00pm - Villa Park

Premier League

Aston Villa will try to keep their feint Premier League survival hopes alive when they welcome second-ranked Leicester City to Villa Park on Saturday.

Villa win at last

After 19 games without a win, Aston Villa finally took all three points from a football match this week when they beat Crystal Palace by a single goal at Villa Park. The victory takes Villa`s point`s tally for the season to 11, five of which were earned in the last five games. However, it may be too little too late for a team that remains eight points from safety and has the worst goal difference in the league.

Remi Garde will now get the chance to pit his wits against his side`s East Midland`s rivals when Leicester make the journey west for this joint-top versus rock-bottom clash.

Leicester enter a new dimension

According to many doubters, the busy Christmas holiday period was meant to mark the inevitable bursting of Leicester City`s bubble. However, despite the lack of goals from the previously unstoppable strike duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, the Foxes have kept up pace with their rivals and are still level on points at the top of the table.

With the goal tap turned off, the East Midlands club have proved that they have the capability to adapt their game and grind out results under pressure. In their last match, they came away with all three points after beating top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur by a single goal at White Hart Lane. The win marked their fifth away win in six games and keeps them level on points with Arsenal, who top the table on goal difference.

Team news

Villa are hoping that Jack Grealish can recover from tonsilitis in time for this game, while Alan Hutton also faces a race to be fit after suffering a hamstring injury. Adama Traore will definitely not feature for the Villains but Gaby Agbonlahor has an outside chance of being involved.

Meanwhile, Leicester will continue with their strongest players all available for this clash.

Recent form (League)

Aston Villa: WLLDD

Leicester City: WDDLW

Betting odds and tips

Only Liverpool have beaten Leicester on their travels this season, while the Villains have only won one game on home soil. With five wins in their last six away games, the Foxes should be favourites to find a way past the league`s bottom team and can be backed at 6/5 with Bet365.

Riyad Mahrez scored six times in December but a minor goal drought this month has pushed his price in the anytime goal scorer market out to 11/5 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 15/01/2016

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (15/01/2016 17:52:05) but are subject to change.