Aston Villa v Leicester City

Trotters wrote:It's awful football and other fans must loathe us. I would. And I'd be wishing after stinking up this league for far too long, that we'd drop.

Opta Stats: Aston Villa v Leicester City

It's a Midlands derby between two struggling sides as Aston Villa host Leicester. Opta are on hand with the vital statistics.

The last three meetings between Aston Villa and Leicester City in all competitions have ended as away wins. Leicester are 3.35 to win.

Aston Villa have suffered a defeat in just one of their last seven league games against the Foxes (W3 D3 L1). They are 2.42 to add another victory to that tally.

Leicester City have scored in each of their last nine league trips to Villa Park to play Aston Villa, but they have also conceded in eight of these games. Both teams to score is 1.9.

The last three Premier League games between Villa and Leicester have seen 13 goals scored (4.3 per game on average). Over 3.5 goals is 3.85.

Christian Benteke's goal against Crystal Palace was his first in the Premier League since March (versus Stoke). Benteke is 2.62 to score.

Since joining Villa, Benteke has scored 30 times in the Premier League - 14 more than any of his team-mates. He is 6.0 to score the first goal.

The Villains are the only side yet to pick up a point after falling behind in the league this season. Leicester are 5.8 to win half-time/full-time.

Just four players have scored a Premier League goal for Aston Villa this season (J.Cole, Agbonlahor, Weimann and Benteke); a lower spread than any other side. Under 2.5 goals is 1.83.

Overall in their 90 Premier League games under Paul Lambert, just three goals have been scored by an Aston Villa substitute. The odds of the first-half containing more goals than the second is 3.1.

Aston Villa latest: Delph boost, Albrighton facing 'strange' return, Okore finally comfortable


Delph injury boost

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has revealed that Fabian Delph could be back on the pitch in a fortnight after returning to training today.

The midfielder took part in a light non-contact session and is making solid progress in his bid to return from a dislocated shoulder suffered in October.

Captain Ron Vlaar could also be back in training tomorrow as Villa prepare for Sunday's home game against Leicester City, but the Dutchman isn't in contention to feature on the afternoon.

Lambert hopes to see fellow centre-back Philippe Senderos return this month, too, while Jose Cole is set for spend two weeks on the sidelines after being forced off within the first 10 minutes of Tuesday's 1-0 win at Crystal Palace with a hamstring injury.

“Ron will hopefully maybe do a bit of training tomorrow with the team. He’s more advanced than Philippe," the boss told the club's official website.

“Ron is coming on. Fabian is coming on too.

“Fabian trained with the team today. It was non-contact with Fabian at the moment. But he is doing really well. Slowly but surely we are starting to get them back.

“Philippe I think hopefully, things going well, we will maybe get him back before the end of the month.

“Joe has injured his hamstring. So I think it will be hopefully a couple of weeks, maybe. It’s not too bad. Hopefully he gets back quicker.

“Joe was excellent at Burnley but, to be fair, Carlos came on at Palace and was excellent for us. Joe’s misfortune gave Carlos that chance to get back in again.

“But Joe was fantastic against Burnley.”



Albrighton prepared for 'strange' return to Villa Park

Sunday's match will also mark a first return to Villa Park for Marc Albrighton, following the winger's summer move to Leicester City on a free transfer.

A boyhood Villa fan, Albrighton signed for the club at the age of eight, before going on to score nine goals in 101 total first-team appearances from 2009 to 2014.

The 25-year-old admitted it was a shock not to be offered a new deal by Lambert at the end of last season, but will not let sentiment get in the way on the weekend.

“It is going to be a bit strange going back to the club where it all started and facing my old team-mates and friends,” he told the Leicester Mercury. “I spent 16 years there in total.

“I am really looking forward to it but I have to treat it like any other game. It is a game we are looking to win and get those all-important three points.

“I have all my family going; my mum, dad, family and friends. Everyone has asked for a ticket, so it will be special. Hopefully I can get some game time and we can get a win.

“It is something I am looking forward to. I have never played against an old club before. It will be a new experience but I can’t wait for Sunday to come so I can get out there.”



Weimann happy out wide

Albrighton won't be lining up against former teammate Andreas Weimann on the weekend, however, after the Austrian earned a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth league booking of the season.

Had he been in the line-up, the forward would have likely been deployed out wide, where he insists he now feels comfortable, despite still believing that he can be more effective through the middle.

"It does feel natural now," he told the club's official website. "I've played there the last two seasons so I know what the manager wants in that position, defensively and attacking.

"I've played there the last two seasons and as I've always said, as long as I'm in the team I don't really mind where I'm playing.

"The manager knows that my favourite position is through the middle but he believes I can do a job on the wing," he added. "Even though it is not my best position I think I can do a pretty good job.

"I've got three [goals] now so hopefully I can keep going and get more. That was my plan - to get more than last year - and I've started off well and hopefully I can carry on.

"In a lot of the games I've played as a winger or a midfielder, so getting double figures is tough but I will try my best. I want to get as many as I can."

Okore finally feeling at home

Another player who's feeling comfortable in the Villa side is Jores Okore, who is set to make his fourth consecutive start against Leicester.

Signing from FC Nordsjælland last summer for around £4 million, the Danish centre-back made just four appearances during his first season before suffering a serious knee injury against Newcastle United just one month into the campaign.

Despite returning to action in pre-season, he found himself on the fringes of the first-team over the early stages of this term, but recent injuries to Vlaar, Senderos and Nathan Baker have seen him seize his opportunity to stake a claim for a regular place.

“I’m really happy at the moment to be back on the teamsheet,” he told the Birmingham Mail. "It was very hard last season especially coming to a new country and a new place.

“It has been a long transition because I haven’t been a part of the team.

“I’ve needed to get to know the lads better outside of football.

“I have tried to hang with them and get to know them a bit better outside and I’m starting to feel a part of it now.”

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert admits sympathy for Nigel Pearson after fan rant


ASTON VILLA boss Paul Lambert admits he has sympathy for Nigel Pearson after his midweek spat with supporters.


Lambert - whose Villa side face Leicester tomorrow - has given his support to the City boss following the controversial incident, which is set to land Pearson in hot water.

Pearson got into a row with Leicester supporters during Tuesday's defeat by Liverpool and is believed to have told one of them to 'f*** off and die'.

But Lambert believes that abusive fans are only damaging their own team.

Lambert is concerned that Pearson's situation is getting more common.

He said: "I don't know the situation, but Nigel's a good guy.

"It's not nice to hear what happened. I don't like the criticism managers get.


SYMPATHY: Paul Lambert admits he understands Nigel Pearson's action

"It's okay for people to say 'don't react', but it's not nice."

"We try and do a good job."

Lambert says he does his best to ignore any insults that come flying his way from the crowd.

"You're not oblivious to it," he said. "You know exactly what's going on.

"But you just try and focus on the game as it can hurt the team and damage what happens on the pitch.

"You're at the forefront of it, that's the way it is.

"But things like this seem to be creeping into the game more and more.

"And you've got things like banners as well.

"I don't like see other managers get that either. But people pay their money and that's the way it is.

"You have to be big enough to get over it."

England midfielder Fabian Delph returned to training yesterday.

The 25-year-old dislocated his shoulder in October and was originally ruled out until the end of December.

Lambert added: “It’s non-contact at the minute but he’s doing really well.

“Slowly but surely we’re starting to get guys back.”

Trotters wrote:Alternatively, try 3-5-2. It is only struggling Leicester after all. What can possibly go wrong?

--------------------------Guzan--------------------------------

-------Hutton-------That's Okore!------Clacker---------------

-N'Zog----Westy---Dirty Sanchez---Grealish---Richardson--

-------------------------The Beast------------------------------

Green Villan wrote:Nigel Pearson is a monumental bell end, we MUST beat the jumped up meat headed idiot, his fans are already on his back so they are going to loose it if Villa beat them, lets see some other mugs scrapping amongst their selves instead of Villa fans.

Trotters wrote:Basically, anything except 4-3-shitting-3