Leicester City v. Aston Villa | PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS | 4/4/2023 | NBC Sports

Leicester City's first-team coaches, Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell, have supervised preparations, with Brendan Rodgers leaving on Sunday. Daniel Iverson was unfortunate to be credited with an own goal in the 2-1 defeated Crystal Palace, a result which signalled the end for Rodgers. The back four is retained, even though Leicester's defensive problems are clear, they've conceded 49 goals already this season. ...makes his return on his seventh start in the Premier League this season, to sit alongside Wilfred Ndidi. It means that Kiernan Jusbu Hall gets a more advanced role, alongside James Madison, capped by England last week, and Harvey Barnes, who has a good scoring record against Aston Villa over the years. It's a time for character and experience, so Jamie Vardy is brought back. The now 36-year-old last started in the Premier League back in January, Tete and Patson Daka, the two who drop out. Rene Emery has led Aston Villa into the top half, and Saturday's 2-0 win at Chelsea means they're unbeaten in five games, winning four. Emi Martinez clocked up a century of Premier League appearances for the club at the weekend. 37-year-old Ashley Young continues to deputise for Matty Cash, who hurt a calf while away on international duty with Poland. It's an unchanged back four, but Divakar Kamara's return at Stamford Bridge lasted just 45 minutes. He's hurt again, Leon Bailey is recalled to the Villa midfield, but it means a change of role for John McGinn, behind Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins, who by coincidence both play their 100th Premier League games. Watkins has striked reform, seven goals in his last nine appearances, and a goal in each of Villa's last five away fixtures. Aston Villa will get us underway at the King Path. For all the talk of a new manager, a new head coach, it seems that Leicester City's owners will take their time to find Brendan Rodgers' successor. And can try and nick the balls and put themselves in attacking situations, that's a good ball. Barnes, held up by Young, Vardy checked his run and then went late. Whipped in by Maddison, Suter, he's gone behind for a corner. I think it was Watkins that just tracked him back in there and just got there in time, but that looked like a goal kick to me, looked like it came off a Suter rather than Watkins. In by Maddison, Suter, Leicester should be in front. Well, there it was, Tony, there were one-lights, Suter's just peeled off around the far post, they got blocked off, you can see there's the block off, they're all looking at each other to say who's blocking who. But he got blocked off easy there, Konza, he got blocked off quite easily, Suter's peeled off around the back, he's come off the post, he really should have scored. From the penalty spot, another of the teams who were struggling to beat the drop, Dewsbury Hall, just too much on it for Vardy and a flag has been raised for an offside anyway. Watkins, flag has stayed down, it's Ollie Watkins, just brushed aside the challenge of Stania and he's done it again. Six away games, six goals on the road for Ollie Watkins. Villa, it seems, unbeatable on their travels. First attempt on target for Aston Villa, first attempt on goal, and he's nipped them behind Stania to put them in front, Watkins. I think he'll be a tight call, Tony, I think he's OK, maybe just, but what a great pass by Buendia. And if he has timed that run to perfection, what a good run from Ollie Watkins as well. Douglas Luiz found Buendia and Buendia in turn zips a fantastic pass into Watkins. I think he's overrun it here, but he manages just to get a toe past the keeper there, Iverson, as he comes out and it ends up a really good finish. You know, we're checking it, it's a really close call, Tony. He's in between the two defenders there, Castagne and Suter, and he really is a close call. Is he leaning into that offside position or not? What a fabulous ball, though, it was from Buendia. All he could do was zip it into the feet of Watkins. He's took it on a couple of strides, maybe thought he'd overrun it, but got a toe poke into the goal. But this one's a really tight call. Saw a tight call at West Ham at the weekend, and this one's just as tight. And it might take quite some time. And Swarbrick is helping to check the geometry. And the verdict is, Aston Villa in front, it's a goal for Oli Watkins. Leicester City 0-1 Aston Villa. Maddison's gone for goal. And Martinez saw it coming, saw it all the way. A little bit of indecision in that Leicester defence, just double-guessing themselves. Moreno drew the shot straight through Suter's legs. McGinn, Moreno with room. Ramsey looking for a second chance, and Douglas Luiz was following up, deflected behind for a corner. Well, Villa are finding the more incisive passes. You look at Leicester attacking, they've been okay on the counter, but the incisive passing in the pockets, into the feet of players who are marked, trusting their control, been very, very good so far. This is a block shot, comes up a fast there, over the top. Ivan Toni, who was with him at Brentford for a time, who was called up for the recent European Championship qualifiers. Blistering run by Barnes. Leicester showing that they're up for the pace from Barnes, and what a finish, that has lifted spirits no end. Well, it's a fantastic ball from Kras out the back. He's really split Ashley Young. He couldn't get his distances right, and I said if they could get it to Barnes quickly, get him running at Ashley Young, he'll have the beating of him because he's young, he's quick, and Ashley Young is not quite as quick in his advancing years, but it's a great take. Look at that first touch, outside of the foot, takes it in his stride, another couple of touches, and he curls it in that far corner. That's a fantastic goal from Ashley Barnes. Fantastic pass out the back as well, but the first touch, look at that, the outside of the foot, and Ashley Young's got no answers to that. Really no answers at all. If he can get it out to Barnes, he could be the match winner this evening. A fantastic equaliser for Leicester. Just when they needed it. Now they're rampaging Barnes. It's Barnes again! It was deflected off Mings and almost beyond the reach of Martinez. It was a terrific stop by the Aston Villa goalkeeper. But at this stage of his career, it's difficult. Barnes cutting in on that last occasion, a big deflection off of Mings. Martinez does well to get the outstretched leg. Maybe just took the pace off it a little bit as well, Mings, which helped him. Morena, found by Douglas Luiz. Watkins, it's an attempt on target, only the second that Villa have had. Morena, young. The card is produced for Dewsbury Hall. He simply couldn't put the brakes on. Yeah, I think he knew exactly what he was doing though, Tony, because if Ashley Young got on the wrong side of him there, the brake was on. Munguia shaking off Castagna. That's thumbed against the side of the post. Unless they get a bit lucky there. Good ball, wasn't it, from Buendia to Moreno. But James Madison just simply switches off, look. Just switches off. Doesn't know where he is defensively there. He'll admit to that. Doesn't really want to be in those positions, having a man marked. But the running off the ball done him completely. He must have happened to sit back when they haven't got the ball. By Dewsbury Hall, who's already been cautioned. And he was going to be substituted, but he's going to be sent off. Costly for Leicester City and Kiernan Dewsbury Hall. The management team were about to replace him. They wanted to bring on Ricardo Pereira. And Kiernan Dewsbury Hall has collected his second yellow card and is dismissed instead. Leicester down to 10. It's a silly challenge, Tony, isn't it? Silly challenge. Didn't need to make the challenge. And he's a minute or 30 seconds away from coming off. Now he's having a go off, having been sent off. And this could cost his team dearly. Yeah, double the top of the bar by Jacob Ramsey. Good ball in by Ashley Young, though. Really zipped it in there, didn't he? Zipped it into the feet. It fell to Ramsey, as you can see. It was a heavy touch, but it fell to Ramsey quite nicely. It was a good ball zipped in. That's what you've got to do. If you're going to pass him in there, hit him in with some pace. Leicester weren't expecting that. Young, the foul was tough. And the throw has been taken quickly. Here's Maddison. What an introduction that would have been for the Leicester substitute. He's done again by Mings. I think they've got to get it out wide. I think they've got... Only just on as a substitute. Announces arrival from Wilfredo Ndidi. There is still work to do. And how well he took that. Oh, that's a brilliant take, Tony, isn't it? But Ndidi, he's trying to be brave. He's trying to play out. And if you give it away there in that midfield area, you'll make the play. Look, Ndidi has a clear chance of clearing his lines here. Look, and he gives it away and trying to get it wide to Harvey Barnes. And it's just a giveaway. But what a finish from Traore. He's just come on the pitch. Look, it's coming to him and he's dead weight. And he just doesn't even have to have a touch. It proves to be the perfect ball, although it's from the opponent. And he curls it for that far side. And he couldn't have picked it any cleaner, really. And Iverson's got no chance. He's curled it for that far side. Curled it outside the post. It's come in and maybe given the Villa the three points. What a fantastic finish. Leicester in the last chance saloon. That was poor from Ricciardo. The effort was smuggled away. And smuggled away by an outstretched hand. Barnes have beaten Martinez. And who got there? Well, it was a challenge from Watkins. Well, this is highly debatable, I think. Because I think they've thrown themselves in front of Watkins. But not actually getting the ball. That's a foul on Watkins for me. Not the other way around. I think this may go to VAR. Because that's a foul on Watkins. You can see there's the lean into Watkins. Fouled him there. That looks the other way around for me. This one looks like it's going to go against Leicester. It has. Well, Aston Villa have withstood a big test at the King Power. Leicester's stand-in management team had decided to go with Jamie Vardy up front from the start. But it was Olly Watkins who was able to get the ball rolling for Aston Villa. Yet another away goal for Watkins. He's now got 11 in the Premier League this season. Leicester with a magnificent equaliser scored by Harvey Barnes. But facing an uphill struggle after Kieran Dewsbury-Hall had been dismissed. A second yellow card for him. And then later on, Bertram Traore off the bench to put Villa back in front. Leicester thought they should have had a penalty. But VAR intervened after Watkins was adjudged to have been pushed by Patson Daka. Watkins benefiting from VAR at the start and the end of this fixture. Leicester have Bournemouth at home next. At the King Power, it's finished. Leicester City 1, Aston Villa 2.