Aston Villa vs. Leicester City: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Leicester City moved back to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Saturday.
The visitors went ahead in the 28th minute, as Shinji Okazaki converted on the rebound after Jamie Vardy had seen his shot saved by Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn. Leicester could have had another, but Bunn saved Riyad Mahrez's penalty just five minutes later.
Villa improved in the second half and equalized through Rudy Gestede in the 75th minute.
The result took Leicester onto 44 points, one ahead of Arsenal, who play on Sunday. Villa remained at the bottom of the table and are now nine points away from safety.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Villa in the Second Half
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There have been few positives for Aston Villa in this dire season, but the second half of this match might just have been one. Trailing 1-0 at the break, Villa emerged from the dressing room a new team and dominated proceedings for most of the final 45 minutes.
The hosts deservedly drew level through Rudy Gestede in the 75th minute and might have had another if referee Roger East had awarded an obvious penalty—more on that momentarily.
It was just the sort of performance Villa need if they're going to make an unlikely escape from relegation this spring. But fans will remain frustrated with only a draw.
"I think we deserve better than a point," Gestede told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "They had one good chance, and we a few. We are a bit disappointed - we know we have to win games now, but we take the one point. It’s still OK."
It might be OK, but it's far from ideal. With 16 matches left in the season—and, no, it's not too early to start counting down—Villa still sit nine points away from 17th place and safety.
A draw wasn't a bad result, but manager Remi Garde must know it wasn't enough. Taking maximum points is critical in every game between now and the end of the season.
Loser: Referee Roger East
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No, he's not a loser for the penalty decision that went against Villa in the first half. That call, in which Roger East penalized defender Aly Cissokho for a handball, was a borderline decision that could have gone either way. One could argue convincingly for and against that one.
Instead, East is a loser here for missing an obvious penalty that should have gone in Villa's favor. In the 61st minute, Leicester centre back Robert Huth knocked down Libor Kozak with a forearm across the Aston Villa man's throat. East had a perfect view of the incident, which took place in Leicester's box, but inexplicably declined to blow his whistle.
That was an obvious penalty, and considering the final scoreline, it might have cost Villa a much-needed victory.
Winner: Mark Bunn
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Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn flirted with disaster early on, tripping up Jamie Vardy in the 14th minute and drawing a yellow card for his efforts.
Other than that, however, he was very good.
In addition to saving Riyad Mahrez's penalty, Bunn made a few important stops in Villa's goal to keep his side in the game. His performance was bad news for American keeper Brad Guzan, who watched on from the bench.
Loser: Riyad Mahrez at the Penalty Spot
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Riyad Mahrez has enjoyed an excellent season with Leicester City, but this was not his best night. In the 33rd minute, the Algerian failed to convert a penalty that would have given his side a commanding 2-0 lead.
The penalty was poor, too, with Mahrez sending a tame shot straight down the middle. Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn, who had dived to his right, saved with his leg.
Mahrez has now missed three penalties on the season, including his last two, both of which were saved.
"Mahrez does have a languid-looking approach, and it can be frustrating," former Leicester captain Matt Elliott noted at BBC Sport. "A second goal would have killed off Villa. That goes in and it's three points to the Foxes."
Winner: A Minor Victory for Villa
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Saturday's draw put Villa on 12 points through 22 matches, a dismal record by nearly any standard.
The one bit of good news for the club's supporters is that by taking a point from this match, Villa can no longer finish as the worst team in Premier League history. That dubious distinction will remain with Derby County, who gathered a pitiful 11 points throughout the entirety of the 2007-08 season.
So, yes, it has been a rough season for Villa. But take heart. It could be worse.
