Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran guide Aston Villa to win at Leicester

Posted Sunday, September 01, 2024 by PA

Amadou Onana and substitute Jhon Duran were on target as Aston Villa returned to winning ways with a 2-1 Premier League win at Leicester.

Ollie Watkins was twice denied by Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen but Villa set-piece coach Austin MacPhee saw his work pay off after Onana rounded off a well-worked move from a dangerous free-kick to give the visitors a half-time advantage.

The King Power Stadium is proving to be a happy hunting ground for Villa, who are now unbeaten in their last four visits.

Jamie Vardy had a goal ruled out after the ball hit the referee in the build-up but Duran climbed off the bench to double Villa’s advantage, while deadline-day signing Facundo Buonanotte’s effort proved to be just a consolation.

Villa were denied an opener after Youri Tielemans put Watkins through one on one with Hermansen but the keeper bravely got down to stop the striker from rounding him and putting into an empty net.

The visitors suffered an early blow after Leon Bailey was forced off the field with a hamstring injury.

Villa began to assert their dominance midway through the first half but Hermansen proved to be Watkins’ nemesis again after he palmed his effort away from goal.

Villa took the lead with a move straight from the training ground after Oliver Skipp had tripped Watkins.

Leicester had the warning signs – Tielemans orchestrating the move once again when he slipped in Jacob Ramsey, who played across for Onana to tap home.

Leicester rallied and Emi Martinez was forced into his first save on the stroke of half-time to deny Skipp’s drilled effort from range.

The Foxes started the second half much brighter than the first as Caleb Okoli and Jordan Ayew fired over.

Vardy had the ball in the back of the net but play was brought back after the ball hit referee David Coote in the build-up.

Duran was on the pitch just over two minutes before he doubled Villa’s advantage.

Lucas Digne played a neat one-two with Ramsey before he sent a ball into Duran who nodded past the diving Hermansen.

Leicester cut the deficit in half 10 minutes later courtesy of another substitute.

Stephy Mavididi burst down the left and saw his cross bounce off Wilfred Ndidi before Buonanotte thrashed home on his debut to make it a contest.

Tielemans lunged in on Vardy inside the area but Coote waved away the protests before pointing to the spot minutes later as Vardy was again fouled, only for the linesman’s offside flag to save Villa.