Maddison and Barnes give Leicester win

James Maddison has now scored 11 goals in all competitions for Leicester this season

James Maddison and Harvey Barnes scored as Leicester City edged out an Aston Villa side missing the injured Jack Grealish.

Maddison found the net inside the opening 20 minutes, side-footing the ball into the far corner.

Moments later, Barnes was on hand to strike home a rebound, giving the Foxes a deserved two-goal lead.

Villa lacked creativity without captain Grealish - who has a leg injury that is set to keep him out for around a month - but were given a lifeline when Bertrand Traore volleyed home a loose ball.

The hosts struggled to create further openings as Leicester held on to go second in the Premier League, three points clear of Manchester United, who host Newcastle later on Sunday (19:00 GMT).

Reaction to Leicester's win over Aston Villa

Maddison and Barnes continue to impress

With England manager Gareth Southgate watching on, English duo Maddison and Barnes barely put a foot wrong for Leicester in the first half.

Maddison, 24, had been involved in eight goals in his past nine league appearances coming into this fixture, and it took him just 19 minutes to curl Leicester in front after a lay-off from Barnes.

And Barnes was then in the right place moments later, tapping in after Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez parried a close-range Jamie Vardy effort.

Maddison was substituted midway through the second half after a minor knock to his hip.

But Barnes continued to orchestrate from midfield, playing through Vardy who fired a dangerous effort across the face of goal late on.

England international Jack Grealish missed a league game for Dean Smith's side for the first time in 15 monthsVilla toothless without injured Grealish

For the first time since November 2019, club captain Jack Grealish was not in the Aston Villa squad for a Premier League match.

"He had some discomfort in training this week. At the end of the week, we decided he wasn't right to play," Villa boss Dean Smith told Sky Sports before the game.

Nobody has been involved in more Villa goals than Grealish this season, and without their captain, Smith's side looked a shadow of their usual selves in the first half.

Forward Traore halved the deficit three minutes after the restart, pouncing on a loose ball after Matt Targett's cross was flicked on by John McGinn.

But Leicester easily wrestled back control, with a late Tyrone Mings header the only other chance of note for the hosts.

Grealish had started Villa's previous 48 league fixtures - but they must learn to adapt to life without him for the next few games.

More Villa Park joy for Rodgers - the stats

Leicester City have won back-to-back away top-flight matches against Aston Villa for the first time since October 1960. Aston Villa have won just one of their past 21 Premier League games against sides starting the day in the top three (D4 L16), losing 11 of their past 12 such fixtures (W1).Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has won all six of his away Premier League games against Aston Villa as a manager, his best such 100% record versus an opponent in the competition. Under Dean Smith, Aston Villa have averaged 1.5 points per game in league competition when Jack Grealish has featured (P80 W36 D14 L30) compared with 0.9 points per game without him (P18 W3 D7 L8), losing all three Premier League matches without the Englishman since the start of last season.Since his Premier League debut in August 2018, Leicester's James Maddison has scored more goals from outside the area than any other player (11). This was his eighth league goal of the season, his best scoring campaign in the top flight.Only Jamie Vardy (14) has scored more goals for Leicester this season than Harvey Barnes (13), who has now had a direct hand in nine goals in his past 11 Premier League matches (six goals, three assists).

What's next?

Aston Villa travel to Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday, 27 February (17:30 GMT), while Leicester take on Slavia Prague in the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday, 25 February (20:00 GMT).

Player of the match

BarnesHarvey Barnes

with an average of 8.41

Aston VillaAston VillaAston VillaLeicesterLeicester CityLeicester City

Aston VillaAvgSquad number26Player nameMartínezAverage rating

5.64

Squad number11Player nameWatkinsAverage rating

5.63

Squad number15Player nameTraoréAverage rating

5.49

Squad number18Player nameTargettAverage rating

5.46

Squad number5Player nameMingsAverage rating

5.22

Squad number4Player nameKonsaAverage rating

5.06

Squad number7Player nameMcGinnAverage rating

4.83

Squad number41Player nameRamseyAverage rating

4.82

Squad number6Player nameDouglas LuizAverage rating

4.78

Squad number25Player nameSansonAverage rating

4.71

Squad number27Player nameAhmed El MohamadyAverage rating

4.63

Squad number17Player nameTrézéguetAverage rating

4.63

Squad number21Player nameEl GhaziAverage rating

4.37

Squad number20Player nameBarkleyAverage rating

4.03

Leicester CityAvgSquad number15Player nameBarnesAverage rating

8.41

Squad number10Player nameMaddisonAverage rating

8.03

Squad number33Player nameThomasAverage rating

7.51

Squad number8Player nameTielemansAverage rating

7.29

Squad number25Player nameNdidiAverage rating

7.27

Squad number27Player nameCastagneAverage rating

7.21

Squad number21Player nameRicardo PereiraAverage rating

7.21

Squad number4Player nameSöyüncüAverage rating

7.19

Squad number9Player nameVardyAverage rating

7.14

Squad number6Player nameEvansAverage rating

7.14

Squad number1Player nameSchmeichelAverage rating

6.79

Squad number24Player nameMendyAverage rating

6.52

Squad number18Player nameAmarteyAverage rating

6.33

Squad number20Player nameChoudhuryAverage rating

6.14

Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text

Line-upsAston Villa

Formation 4-2-3-1

26Martínez27El Mohamady4Konsa5Mings18Targett6Douglas Luiz7McGinn15Traoré20Barkley21El Ghazi11Watkins

26Martínez27El MohamadyBooked at 59mins4Konsa5Mings18Targett6Douglas LuizBooked at 51minsSubstituted forSansonat 81'minutes7McGinn15Traoré20BarkleySubstituted forRamseyat 76'minutes21El GhaziSubstituted forTrézéguetat 67'minutes11Watkins

Substitutes

1Heaton3Taylor17Trézéguet19Nakamba25Sanson39Davis41Ramsey60Chukwuemeka62Hayden

Leicester

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Schmeichel27Castagne6Evans4Söyüncü33Thomas8Tielemans25Ndidi21Ricardo Pereira10Maddison15Barnes9Vardy

1Schmeichel27Castagne6Evans4Söyüncü33Thomas8TielemansSubstituted forChoudhuryat 88'minutes25NdidiBooked at 34mins21Ricardo PereiraSubstituted forAmarteyat 76'minutes10MaddisonSubstituted forMendyat 64'minutes15Barnes9Vardy

Substitutes

11Albrighton12Ward14Iheanacho18Amartey19Ãœnder20Choudhury24Mendy28Fuchs46Daley-Campbell

Referee:Michael OliverMatch StatsHome TeamAston VillaAway TeamLeicesterPossessionHome50%Away50%ShotsHome11Away16Shots on TargetHome2Away7CornersHome7Away8FoulsHome11Away11Live TextPost update

Match ends, Aston Villa 1, Leicester City 2.

90'+6'Full Time

Second Half ends, Aston Villa 1, Leicester City 2.

90'+5'Post update

Attempt missed. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady with a cross.

90'+4'Post update

Foul by Luke Thomas (Leicester City).

90'+4'Post update

Bertrand Traoré (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.

90'+3'Post update

Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).

90'+3'Post update

Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'+1'Post update

Attempt missed. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.

90'+1'Post update

Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Timothy Castagne.

90'Post update

Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).

90'Post update

Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

89'Post update

Attempt blocked. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Targett with a headed pass.

88'Substitution

Substitution, Leicester City. Hamza Choudhury replaces Youri Tielemans.

86'Post update

Çaglar Söyüncü (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

86'Post update

Foul by Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

85'Post update

Foul by Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City).

85'Post update

Trézéguet (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

85'Post update

Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

85'Post update

Foul by Trézéguet (Aston Villa).

84'Post update

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Tyrone Mings.

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Source: bbc.com