East Midlands meets West in the Premier League on Saturday as newly-promoted Leicester welcome Aston Villa to the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes are still finding their feet after returning to the top-flight, following up an opening 1-1 draw with Tottenham by losing 2-1 on the road at Fulham.
Villa were also beaten last time out, going down 2-0 at home to expected title challengers Arsenal, but Unai Emery’s side did open the campaign with a 2-1 road success at West Ham.
Team news
Leicester manager Steve Cooper made eight changes for the midweek Carabao Cup success over Tranmere, but after naming an unchanged starting XI for his opening two league games, he could revert back to type for this one.
Recent recruits Oliver Skipp and Jordan Ayew will be hoping to make their first league starts, the latter scored against Tranmere, but Patson Daka and Jakub Stolarczyk both remain on the treatment table with ankle injuries.
For Villa, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are still sidelined with serious knee issues, although the latter is nearing a return, while full-back Matty Cash faces a month out with the hamstring injury he picked up against Arsenal
Prediction
Villa will rightly start this match as favourites and if Emery’s side want to replicate or even better last season’s efforts, this is a game they will expect to win.
The Villans were 2-1 winners on their last trip to the King Power and remarkably five of their last six victories over Leicester have been by that scoreline – the other was still only by a one-goal margin, a 1-0 success in October 2020.
Having also won 2-1 away at West Ham on the opening weekend and with three of their eight road victories in the league last season coming by that scoreline, Villa supporters will be used to edging things on the road.
Leicester were beaten 2-1 at Fulham last weekend and there could be a feeling of deja vu in the East Midlands on Saturday.