Rodgers hails Leicester firepower after record win

BRENDAN RODGERS reckons Leicester have the firepower and form to worry the entire Premier League – including Liverpool.

The former Celtic boss celebrated a new £40million contract until 2025 with a club-record eighth successive top-flight win.

Second-placed Leicester had 23 shots on goal and could have beaten Aston Villa by more than Jamie Vardy’s double, Kelechi Iheancho’s volley and Jonny Evans’ header.

Rodgers was delighted with the display to stay eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who visit them on Boxing Day.

He said: “We scored four goals and could have had more. It was an outstanding team performance.

“To surpass the club record of straight wins in the top flight was fantastic and we had a performance to match that.

“That was the beauty of today, we had two counterattack goals, a long period of possession for the second

JAMES NURSEY AT VILLA PARK

one and a set-piece goal. So we showed different ways to score.

“And the players have shown we can win in many different ways because in some games you have to dig in.”

Manchester City’s derby loss, combined with this win, means Leicester are the Anfield’s club’s biggest threat right now.

Not only does Champions League qualification look increasingly likely but the Foxes’ title credentials simply can’t be dismissed.

However, it was Villa who really should have opened the scoring as Jack Grealish released Matt Targett and Anwar El Ghazi side-footed his cross against the bar from eight yards early on.

Villa’s prospects were hit when influential defender Tyrone Mings pulled up clutching his hamstring.

Yet the England ace hobbled on and Villa were made to pay moments later when Marvelous Nakamba’s daft sideways pass was intercepted by the alert James Maddison.

He found Nigerian ace Iheanacho who split the Villa defence with a fine pass for Vardy who rounded Tom Heaton and tapped in.

Leicester deservedly doubled their lead before the break.

Caglar Soyuncu began the move by stepping out of defence with the ball to release Ben Chilwell.

Youri Tielemans then fed Maddison whose low cross from the left picked out Iheanacho at the near post.

The forward still had a lot to do but expertly steered in a first-time left-foot volley in the 41st minute.

Villa gave themselves hope before the interval when skipper Grealish fired in a right-foot shot off the post in first half stoppage time.

But that optimism