BERTRAND TRAORE’S last-gasp stunner means Adam Sadler’s Leicester City could be Going Overboard.
Saturday’s defeat at Crystal Palace saw the Foxes slip into the bottom three, cost Brendan Rodgers his job and left the club desperate for a glimmer of hope tonight.
But that was smashed to smithereens after an almighty cock-up by Wilfred Ndidi gifted Traore the winner on 87 minutes.
The sucker punch came after Harvey Barnes had looked like Leicester’s hero once again with a stunning 36th-minute equaliser to cancel out Ollie Watkins’ 24th-minute opener.
There was chaos in the dying seconds when referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot for what looked like a penalty to Leicester after a tussle between Watkins on Patskon Daka.
But a VAR check showed Daka had actually shoved the ex-Brentford striker and the decision was overturned after Scott checked the monitor.
The result has plunged the Foxes further into the relegation mire in 19th place and just 25 points.
For Villa, boss Unai Emery said he would have finally started dreaming about Europe if his side won here having now charged up the table into seventh and just two points off Brighton in sixth.
And ex-Brentford striker Watkins has been the beating heart of Villa’s glittering run.
He toasted his 100th Prem appearance with his eighth goal in ten games.
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Only Christian Benteke (42), Dean Saunders (37) and John Carew (36) scored as many goals in their first 100 Premier League games for Villa as Watkins (36).
All the headlines had been about Jamie Vardy, 36, making his first Prem start since 21 January.
And he had a glint in his eye from the offset, making a crunch tackle on Ezri Konsa to set the tone.
From then the hosts were building but Harry Souttar scuppered two golden chances to put them ahead following James Maddison’s inch-perfect delivery.
Barnes then broke free with a blistering run and whipped a cross into the box but Vardy was unable to make the crucial touch.
It had all been Leicester so it must have felt like a dagger in their heart when Villa were the ones to break the deadlock.
Emiliano Buendia found Watkins with a cute through ball before the striker cheekily nudged the ball just beyond Daniel Iversen.
There was a brief VAR check for offside but the goal stood meaning Watkins has now hit a whopping six goals in six games on the road.
But Leicester were having none of it and hit back stronger than ever, finding the leveller 12 minutes later.
Wout Faes sprayed a long ball out to Barnes who burst past Ashley Young and side-footed the ball across Emiliano Martinez and into the corner.
Barnes may well be the reason the Foxes survive this season, with him hitting his best-ever Prem goal tally of ten and becoming the club’s top scorer this term.
On 87 minutes Bertrand Traore came on for Leon Bailey and instantly won it for the visitors with his first goal for Villa since May 2021.
Ndidi passed the ball straight to Traore 22 yards out and he curled a beauty into the top corner.
Here’s how the action unfolded at the King Power…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
