Foxes top but gritty Villa grind out a point
LEICESTER returned to the top of the Premier League in an incidentpacked match at Villa Park that saw Robert Huth lucky to escape a red card for an elbow and Jamie Vardy spark a 15-man brawl after clashing with Leandro Bacuna.
Shinji Okazaki’s 28th-minute goal was cancelled out 15 minutes from the end by Aston Villa substitute Rudy Gestede, who appeared to handle on the way to scoring.
But in between Villa were also out of luck, conceding a penalty when Aly Cissokho handled at point-blank range — Mark Bunn saved from Riyad Mahrez anyway — and seeing Huth catch Libor Kozak in the face, which went unpunished.
The draw puts this season’s unlikely title challengers a point clear ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal, who face Stoke today.
Villa are still rooted to the bottom, nine points from safety but will take heart from a battling display which spilled over when Bacuna shoved Vardy, who swiped him across the back in retaliation, before they both locked foreheads as team-mates ran in to separate them.
Villa boss Remi Garde was at least able to share a joke before the sparks began to fly, enjoying a laugh with Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri ahead of kick-off.
Villa fielded an unchanged side but it was Leicester who made the quicker start. They had kept clean sheets in their previous two Premier League games and, whenever Villa hit a long ball up to Kozak, Huth and Wesley Morgan were around him quickly to clean up.
Vardy had the first chance on goal, getting in front of Jores Okore to glance a header just wide. Vardy’s electric pace and movement is well known now but there is still very little defenders can do about it.
After 14 minutes, he was on to a stumble by Bacuna in a flash, forcing Bunn to come sprinting out of his area and scythe down the striker, a rash challenge which earned him a yellow card.
Vardy’s rise from non-League footballer to England striker and Premier League record holder with 11 goals in a row has been one of the stories of the season — just like Leicester themselves.
And he was the key figure with the opening goal. Vardy carried on running while Okore hesitated and latched on to a long ball with a firsttime lob over Bunn. The backpedalling Villa goalkeeper did well to claw the ball off the line but Okazaki seized on the rebound from six yards. Again Bunn clawed it away — but not before the ball had crossed the line — and technology ensured justice was done.
Leicester could have increased their lead two minutes later when Mahrez blasted a shot at Aly Cissokho and referee Roger East pointed to the spot. Mahrez had missed Leicester’s previous penalty against Bournemouth and the expectation was that he would hand the ball to Vardy. Instead, the Algerian took responsibility again and fired down the middle. Sadly for him, Bunn saved with his legs.
The first half ended with Leicester ahead and Vardy by far the most influential player despite having the fewest touches, 13, of anyone.
But Villa, whose win against Crystal Palace on Tuesday was their first in the Premier League at home for eight months, charged forwards at the start of the second half and the aggrieved Cissokho nearly made amends for conceding the penalty with a stinging shot that was beaten away by Kasper Schmeichel.
Villa were less cohesive than Leicester but did not lack for effort. There was even sporting applause for former Villa winger Marc Albrighton, who has found a new lease of life in the East Midlands.
The visitors still carried the extra class on occasions, however, and Danny Drinkwater’s shot from the edge of the penalty needed to be tipped over by Bunn.
Fury erupted in the Villa ranks on the hour though, when Huth reached Ashley Westwood’s cross by extending his left arm and catching Kozak in the mouth. The Czech was floored and in clear distress while clutching his face, but the referee waved play on without the award of a penalty, let alone a card for Huth. Schmeichel then nearly fumbled a Bacuna shot as the pressure grew.
So it was left to substitute Gestede to save the day. He had been on the field for just eight minutes when, appearing to control the ball with his hand, he turned Huth and curled in from 12 yards, the ball taking a deflection off Morgan who dived in to try and block.
By now, the action was getting fiery. Vardy was shoved in the back by Bacuna and so pushed him in retaliation, sparking a 15-man brawl. Still, at least Villa are showing some fight at last.