Leicester City will begin life after Brendan Rodgers this Tuesday when they welcome high-flying Aston Villa to King Power Stadium for the rescheduled seventh Round fixture of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
The Foxes sacked their FA Cup-winning manager Brendan Rodgers last weekend after a narrow 2-1 away loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday. According to the club board, they were “compelled to take alternative action” to get back on track after a poor run of form that saw them lose six out of their last seven games (D1).
The latest defeat lowered them into the Premier League’s relegation zone, as they now sit just two points ahead of rock-bottom Southampton.
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It is now or never for the Foxes, who will be desperate for maximum points here as they fight to avoid the drop for the first time since their return to the league in the 2013/2014 season. First, however, they must sort their attitude to holding on to leads if they want to stay up.
The Foxes have dropped more points (22) from winning positions this season than any other team following their 2-1 loss to Palace at the weekend.
As the assistant manager and now interim boss Chris Davies will know, a leaky defence has played a big part in that inability to see games out. Next, it will be his job to try and fix the Foxes’ record of conceding in 13 straight PL games, notably the longest such active record in the division.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa put the final nail in Graham Potter’s Chelsea reign last weekend with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, leading to the former Brighton’s coach sacking.
The win was Villa’s fifth consecutive game without defeat (W4, D1), pushing them into the Premier League top half. For a team that was in danger of relegation early this season, they have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under Unai Emery and can start dreaming of a place in Europe.
The former Sevilla and Villarreal coach has insisted that a tp-half finish is his aim this season, but he knows that his side can crack the top seven given how solid they have been recently.
The visitors’ form has been led by a strong defence which has kept four clean sheets in their last five games. They head into this clash just two points outside of the top six, but having played two games more than sixth-placed Brighton, they know they can’t afford to take their foot off the pedal.
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