Gestede helps lowly Villa dent Leicester’s title bid
Aston Villa striker Rudy Gestede came off the bench to dent
Leicester’s Premier League title challenge as his second half equaliser
rescued a 1-1 draw for the bottom club on Saturday.
Although Leicester moved one point clear of second placed Manchester
City, Claudio Ranieri’s side left Villa Park frustrated their lead
wasn’t more significant after Gestede’s first goal since September
cancelled out a first half opener from Japan striker Shinji Okazaki.
The Foxes should have been out of sight by the time Gestede equalised
and they paid the price for a series of misses, with Riyad Mahrez
especially culpable after his first half penalty was saved by Mark Bunn.
Third placed Arsenal can regain pole position if they draw or win at Stoke on Sunday.
This was another encouraging performance for Villa after a 1-0 win
over Crystal Palace in midweek gave Remi Garde his first three points as
Villa boss and secured their first league victory since the opening day
of the season.
But Garde’s team need points rather than plaudits and they remain
rooted to the bottom of the table, with a nine-point gap to make up if
they are avoid dropping into the second tier for the first time since
1988.
Robert Huth had been Leicester’s match-winner at Tottenham in
midweek, but the German defender almost gifted Villa the opening goal
when his miscued clearance allowed Libor Kozak to surge clear for a low
shot that Kasper Schmeichel saved at his near post.
That was far from Schmeichel’s only significant contribution as his
booming kick downfield helped the visitors take the lead in the 28th
minute.
Jamie Vardy alertly peeled away from Villa’s dozing defence to meet
the long ball with a superb lob that caught Bunn off his line.
Bunn managed to make an acrobatic back pedalling save, but Okazaki
followed up to slot home from close-range despite the goalkeeper’s
attempt to keep it out, with goalline technology confirming the ball had
crossed for his fourth league goal of the season.
Ranieri’s side had a golden
opportunity to double their lead four minutes later when a flowing move
cut through the Villa defence and ended with a penalty after Mahrez’s
shot was blocked by the sliding Aly Cissokho’s raised arm.
Despite missing from the spot earlier this month Mahrez took the
penalty himself, but the Algeria winger’s slightly too casual strike
down the middle was close to Bunn and the Villa goalkeeper made the
save.
Cissokho tested Schmeichel with a stinging shot early in the second
half before Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater’s dipping long-range
effort drew a fine tip over from Bunn.
Villa appealed in vain for a penalty when Huth swung an arm into
Kozak’s face, while Drinkwater threatened again when he flicked wide
from Vardy’s cross.
There was more menace about Villa’s attacks now and Garde sent on
Gestede in the 67th minute to add further thrust to the forward line.
The switch paid rich dividends eight minutes later when Gestede equalised in fortuitous circumstances.
First he got away with the ball bouncing off his arm and then benefitted from a Huth clearance that hit him in the groin.
Those two lucky breaks presented the Benin striker with the
opportunity for a shot that deflected off West Morgan and past
Schmeichel.