High-flying Leicester face a short trip to Villa Park on Sunday to face Midlands rivals Aston Villa, as they look to register a club record eighth straight Premier League win.
Returning down the M6 with three points will be no easy task however, with Villa only losing once at home since August.
Despite a strong home record, Villa sit just a point above the relegation zone, and if results go against them they could find themselves in the bottom three by Sunday evening.
Back home on Sunday. #AVFC #PL pic.twitter.com/kewZzMeNLg
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 5, 2019
Dean Smith's side could hardly wish for a worse opponent, with Saturday's visitors Leicester occupying second place in the table and on an irresistible run of form.
The Foxes have won seven on the bounce since losing to Liverpool in October, conceding just twice in that time. With the league leaders facing an overwhelming December schedule, Leicester have an opportunity to make up ground at the top and mount a serious title challenge.
Here's 90min's preview of the tasty looking Premier League clash.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Sunday 8 December |
| What Time Is Kick Off | 14:00 (GMT) |
| Where Is it Played? | Villa Park |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | Sky Sports Premier League |
| Referee? | Michael Oliver |
Team News
Aston Villa right back Frederic Guilbert is available once more, having sat out Villa's midweek defeat at Chelsea through suspension.
Anwar El Ghazi could be in contention to return, after picking up a knock against Manchester United on Sunday, although
Brendan Rogers is hopeful that Ben Chilwell will be fit to start, after the England left back missed Leicester's midweek win over Watford with a hip problem. He is expected to replace Christian Fuchs, who deputised at full back on Wednesday.
Predicted Lineups
| Aston Villa | Heaton; Target, Mings, Konsa, Guilbert; Nakamba, Luiz, McGinn, Grealish, El Ghazi; Wesley. |
| Leicester | Schmeichel; Chilwell, Evans, Söyüncü, Ricardo Pereira; Ndidi, Perez, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy. |
Head to Head Record
Sunday's game is the 99th meeting between the two sides. Leicester have the edge, winning 41 of the encounters, while Villa have come out on top 33 times. The two sides have been unable to be separated on 24 occasions.
This is the first time the two teams have met since January 2016, when Leicester looked like their title challenge was faltering as they could only manage a 1-1 draw with then bottom of the table Villa. Leicester famously went on to win the league, while Villa were relegated.
Recent Form
Villa have managed just one win in six, but they have faced three of the top four in that time. Despite losing eight times this season, Dean Smith's men rarely seem to be on the receiving end of a battering, having narrowly lost 2-1 to both Chelsea and Liverpool.
Villa recorded a 2-2 draw at Manchester United on Sunday courtesy of a Jack Grealish wonder goal, before slipping to defeat at Chelsea in midweek, with Smith lamenting his side's slow start to either half which eventually cost them.
Leicester's form meanwhile has been nothing short of sensational this season. The Foxes beat Watford on Wednesday to notch up a record equalling seventh consecutive Premier League win, with Jamie Vardy scoring his 14th goal of the season from the penalty spot.
Brendan Rogers' side were forced to dig in and show their resilience three days earlier against Watford, scoring a dramatic late winner to claim a 2-1 victory after they had trialled at half time.
Here's how the sides' last five matches have played out.
| Aston Villa | Leicester City |
| Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa (4/12) | Leicester 2-0 Watford (4/12) |
| Manchester United 2-2 Aston Villa (1/12) | Leicester 2-1 Everton (1/12) |
| Aston Villa 2-2 Newcastle United (25/11) | Brighton 0-2 Leicester (23/11) |
| Wolves 2-1 Aston Villa (10/11) | Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (9/11) |
| Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool (2/11) | Crystal Palace 0-2 Leicester |
Prediction
Aston Villa are undoubtably a decent side, with their league position perhaps not reflecting the ability of the squad, particularly in midfield. John McGinn and Jack Grealish are two of the best players outside of the Premier League's top six.
As they did against Liverpool, Villa should run Leicester close on Sunday. However, the Foxes should have too much quality about themselves. They will be required to dig in, but as Leicester demonstrated against Everton, that is something they are more than capable of doing to secure victory.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Leicester
Source: 90min
