JOY FROM BRAZIL
Rodgers beaming as Tete enjoys flying Foxes start
BRAZILIAN flags are familiar at Villa Park – but not so much among away fans and rarely waved with the fervour the Foxes showed at the end for Tete.
This boy from Brazil was the first among his countrymen to play for Leicester and made sure his debut was one to savour with a magnificent goal in a scintillating display.
Not since Riyad Mahrez was an East Midlands marvel have Brendan Rodgers’ side had a rightsided attacker with such sublime touch and confidence.
Tete – a crafty 22-year-old loan signing by Rodgers from Shakhtar Donetsk via Lyon – scored Leicester’s crucial third goal to put them 3-2 ahead after Villa had twice led.
It sparked lavish flag-waving celebrations from away fans whose team will surely move clear of the relegation scrap if they can maintain these standards.
This was their first Premier League win since November 12 and a reality check for Villa fans who were talking about the possibility of European football under Unai Emery after back-to-back victories. Not if they defend like this. Rodgers said: “That’s the most Brazilian flags I have ever seen outside of Rio! Tete provides what we have been talking about for 18 months – a right winger who can make runs, take the ball, use the ball. What a debut from him.
“This felt like a team of mine today – aggressive, positive, dynamic. It was a top performance.”
Ollie Watkins scored first for Villa, James Maddison equalised after suicidal sloppiness in the home defence, Watkins forced Harry Souttar into an own goal, and Kelechi Iheanacho levelled again before Tete showed great composure to nose Leicester in
front.
That all happened before half-time. Villa swarmed forward in the second half and had a goal by their own Brazilian, Philippe Coutinho ruled out for offside before Dennis Praet ran through to make the game safe.
It was only a second defeat in eight league matches in charge for Emery, but he next faces Manchester City, then Arsenal.
The Villa boss said: “I feel very frustrated and disappointed.
“Before the game we were thinking about being in the top 10 in the league, but we need to control the game better.
“In some areas we played very well, but we made mistakes and that made us lose confidence.”
ASTON VILLA: Martinez 6; Young 6 (Cash (59) 5), Konsa 5, Mings 5, Digne 6 (Moreno (46) 6); Ramsey 6 (Coutinho (46) 6), Douglas Luiz 7, Kamara 6 (Dendoncker (82) 5), Buendia 7; Bailey 7 (Duran (82) 5), Watkins 7
LEICESTER: Ward 7; Castagne 6, Souttar 8, Faes 6, Kristiansen 7 (Thomas (81) 5); Tielemans 7, Maddison 7 (Praet (67) 7), Dewsbury-Hall 7 (Mendy (67) 7); Tete 9 (Soyuncu (82) 5), Iheanacho 7 (Vardy (67) 6), Daka 7
STAR MAN: Tete – Added class, composure, craftiness and an excellent goal on a superb debut.
REF: Darren England 7