Aston Villa 1 - Leicester 1: Gestede gives hosts hope while Foxes return to league summit

RUDY GESTEDE snatched a vital point for rock-bottom Aston Villa – to leave Leicester ace Riyad Mahrez cursing himself.

 

Shinji Okazaki celebrates after scoring the first goal for Leicester

 

Had the Algerian hotshot not missed a penalty for the second time in three games, Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes would be three points clear at the top of the table. 

For Leicester, already leading through Shinji Okazaki’s fourth goal of the season, would have been out of sight in this contest but for Mahrez’s failure to convert from 12 yards. 

And that moment proved the turning point for Remi Garde’s strugglers, whose refusal to die without a fight was rewarded 15 minutes from time with Gestede’s driven equaliser. 

A draw is unlikely to be enough come the final shake-up in the relegation dogfight. Villa, after all, are still a massive NINE points from safety.

 

But at least the fightback shows they have not totally abandoned hope of a great escape. 

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri, by contrast, will consider it a blown opportunity to rubberstamp their title credentials. 

It was the visitors, fresh from toppling Spurs, who created the first opening – Vardy’s header flashing inches wide. 

The hosts’ rearguard was still fast asleep minutes later – nobody more so than Jores Okore. The centre-half was static in the 30th minute when Vardy raced clear on goal. 

 

Though Mark Bunn brilliantly denied the England striker’s first-time lob, Okazaki was quickest to the rebound. Goal-line technology confirmed the ball had crossed the line before Bunn parried it.

MAN OF THE MATCH: IDRISSA GANA – Villa’s Senegal playmaker kept his side ticking throughout, even when they appeared doomed. 

Ref: R East 

ASTON VILLA: Bunn; Bacuna, Okore, Lescott, Cissokho; Westwood, Gana, Veretout, Ayew (Sinclair 90), Kozak, Gil (Gestede 67). 

LEICESTER: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Drinkwater, Kante, Mahrez (Ulloa 69), Okazaki (De Laet 59); Albrighton (Gray 85); Vardy