Leicester City have continued their fight for Premier League survival with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
Paul Konchesky scored a late first-half goal to give the hosts the lead and on another day, the Foxes could have run out as 4-0 winners.
Villa struggled to find that attacking threat and the game ended sour when Ciaran Clark was sent off for a second bookable offence after almost coming to blows with Matt James, who was handed a straight red for a dangerous challenge on Jores Okore.
Discover how the match unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute commentary below.
Hello everyone! The hectic festive schedule is over, but we're entering the crucial second half of the Premier League season. Here, we're focusing on the bottom half of the table with a clash between Leicester City and Aston Villa.
Both sides will be keen to get on a run of results as they have struggled to make their mark in the top flight in recent months. Leicester appear to be on the up after they ended a six-game losing run to snatch a victory over Hull City and a 2-2 draw with Liverpool. For Villa, they have not won a game in their last five and pressure on manager Paul Lambert is beginning to grow on the fans as the majority seem less than enthused by the team's current style of play.
First things first, let's bring you the team news for this afternoon's encounter. Starting with the home side...
LEICESTER XI: Hamer; Simpson, Wasilewski, Morgan, Konchesky; James, Hammond, Albrighton, Knockaert; Nugent, Ulloa
Substitutes bench: Schwarzer, De Laet, Vardy, King, Lawrence, Moore, Wood
Nigel Pearson has made four changes to the side that secured a 1-0 win over Newcastle United in the third round of the FA Cup last weekend. Danny Simpson, Marcin Wasilewski, Dean Hammond and Marc Albrighton have come into the fold, while Ritchie De Laet, Liam Moore, Esteban Cambiasso and Tom Lawrence have all been taken out of the starting lineup.
Leicester are unable to give their new signing Andrej Kramaric his debut as the Croatian awaits all the relative paperwork in order to get his Foxes career up and running. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who has joined the club this month from Chelsea, has to settle for a place on the bench. Now, who will the home side be lining up against...?
ASTON VILLA XI: Guzan; Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho; Cleverley, Cole, Westwood, Sanchez; Benteke, Agbonlahor
Substitutes bench: Given, Bacuna, Weimann, N'Zogbia, Lowton, Richardson, Baker
Paul Lambert has only slightly tinkered his team following last weekend's 1-0 win over Blackpool in the FA Cup as Jack Grealish is taken out of the team to make way for Christian Benteke. Ron Vlaar is nowhere to be seen this afternoon as it was confirmed yesterday that the defender will be on the treatment table for around six weeks with a knee injury.
As mentioned earlier, both sides have struggled to pick up points, but you would have to argue that Leicester could be turning a corner following their last two league results. Their last outing resulted in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool, but the fact that the Foxes came from two goals down to snatch a point will give them huge confidence heading into today's match.
Leicester are expected to be fighting for survival towards the end and even a win today will not push them out of the relegation zone. However, all three points will put them closer to their rivals down the bottom as Queens Park Rangers, Hull City, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Burnley are all languishing in dangerous positions.
The arrival of Andrej Kramaric, who is believed to have cost the club in the region of £10m, could put pressure on Leonardo Ulloa's position. The forward has not found the back of the net since December 7 and with the Foxes desperate to pick up the points, the 28-year-old needs to start firing again. However, they do have David Nugent in their ranks and following his impressive goal against Liverpool on New Year's Day, the forward will be keen to top up his tally.
Let's turn our attention to the visiting side and it hasn't been the best of times for Villa. A number of fans called for the head of Lambert following his side's FA Cup third-round win over Blackpool, with the majority unhappy with the style of play. The Midlands outfit are unbeaten in their last two courtesy of two goalless draws, but they have not won a game since December 7.
Despite a number of fans questioning Lambert's tactics, the players seem to be enjoying the new system, according to Ashley Westwood. Earlier this week, he was quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying: "We're keeping the ball and moving teams around the way that they used to do to us. We feel like we are progressing. It's just about being patient now."
Westwood may think that Villa are progressing, but on the goalfront it's been poor for Villa has they have netted just 11 league goals so far this season. Christian Benteke has had his injury problems, but the Belgian needs to begin firing for the Midlands outfit if they want to start moving up from 12th in the table. The good news for Villa fans is that the club have no intention of selling the forward this month.
PREDICTION: As we edge closer to kickoff, let's consider how this game might unfold. For me, I can see it being a low-scoring match as neither side have been prolific in recent weeks. A score draw could be a possibility, but due to Leicester's recent run and comeback against Liverpool, I could see the Foxes snatching this one 1-0.
Our 'On the Sofa' panellists Matt Law and Barney Corkhill have also had their say on the match ahead...
We have around five minutes to go until the game gets underway. The players are in the tunnel and are ready to emerge onto the King Power pitch.
KICKOFF! Villa get us underway, kicking from right to left...
Simpson launches a long throw into the box searching for Ulloa, but the Villa men in the box do enough to clear the danger.
Nugent starts positively for the hosts by winning a free kick a few yards from the edge of the area. Cissokho brings him down following a tussle between the pair and Knockaert whips the ball into the area, but it fails to get past the first man.
Cole tries to pick out Benteke with a low drive, but Morgan reads the Belgian's run and gets to the ball first to kick it out of touch.
CHANCE! Some very positive play from Leicester as Simpson has plenty of space to hit a cross into the box to find Nugent. The Liverpool-born forward tries to wrap his right foot around it, but as he knocks the ball down, it bounces towards the outside of the post after a deflection. The home side get a corner, but it comes to nothing.
In these early stages, the home side have created better opportunities and as expected, they have come out on the frontfoot. However, Villa have shown glimpses of decent movement, so it's set up nicely at the King Power Stadium.
Sanchez plays the ball through to Cole, but the Villa man falls to ground following slight contact from Albrighton behind him. Westwood whips in the free kick looking for Benteke. Hamer comes forward, but Villa have held their line well and Benteke is flagged for offside.
It's another free kick for Villa following a hand ball from Konchesky, but Westwood's delivery is cleared easily by James.
CHANCE! What an opportunity for Leicester! Albrighton does well to storm away from his marker and deliver a perfectly-weighted ball into the middle of the box, which Nugent latches onto, but he drives the ball towards the outside of the post. If the forward had realised that his teammate Knockaert was just behind him to slot in the ball, Leicester would be in front!
At the other end, Agbonlahor drives out wide and sends a low cross into the box, but he delivers it straight to Morgan, who clears with ease. If the Villa forward had delayed his cross, then more of hie teammates would have had time to get into the box to meet his delivery.
At the moment, the visitors look sluggish. We're less than 20 minutes in and there have been a number of offside calls. Villa take a different approach as Cleverley moves to a wide area to cross the ball into the box, but his effort is wild and Leicester get possession back.
Nugent finds space and tries to slip Ulloa into play, but Clark reads the situation well and manages to block the ball's path.
GOAL RULED OUT! Villa find the back of the net through Benteke, but it's ruled out after the Belgian moved into an offside position to collect Weimann's pass. Leicester do well to hold their line at the back.
Villa have been seeing more of the ball as the half progresses due to their extra man in midfield, but they have done little to threaten Leicester's goal. At the moment, their struggling to find that piece of quality to get in behind the home side's defence.
In the last couple of minutes both sides have given the ball away cheaply. It's not been a cagey affair as expected and there seems to be a lack of rhythm at the moment.
MISS! How does Nugent not score here?! Knockaert whips the ball into the box and Okore gets a foot to it first on the nearpost, but his clearance goes behind him. Nugent is surrounded by Villa shirts, but he gets a head to it and knocks it wide. He should have done much better.
Leicester get caught in possession, which gives Agbonlahor the chance to drive through the defence. He lines up a shot, but his effort flies above the crossbar and squanders a chance to equalise.
Leicester should really be leading and you feel that they could rue these missed chances as the team have not created regular attacks on goal.
Some promising movement from Villa as the ball is knocked back to Cleverley on the edge of the area. The midfielder takes a shot at goal, but his effort is blocked by Morgan after he threw his body in the way. Villa have been struggling for goals, but you feel that they are beginning to find their feet.
BOOKING! Referee Michael Oliver gives Okore the first yellow card of the game after the Villa defender unnecessarily slid into the feet of Knockaert during a Leicester attack.
The home fans are screaming for a penalty after Hammond goes down in the box while trying to scramble for the ball. Hutton is the man who moves across his Hammond's body before he can get to the ball, but the referee waves penalty claims away.
Villa get some joy at the other end with two quick corners, but Leicester remain composed in defending their box and the dangers are cleared with relative ease.
A poor pass from Konchesky sends the ball straight into the feet of Westwood, who plays the ball out wide to Hutton, but once again, Villa's efforts in the final third let them down and they fail to create a goalscoring chance.
OFF THE BAR! Nugent just cannot seem to score today! The top of the forward's foot connects to the ball and he hits it on the half-volley, but his effort clatters off the crossbar. The ball bounces into the path of Ulloa, but it's too high and his shot flies over.
GOAL! Leicester City 1-0 Aston Villa (Konchesky)
Within the first minute of stoppage time, Leicester finally get their head in front when after a spell of pressure in the box, the ball bounces towards Konchesky on the edge of the area. He connects to it will and delivers a sweet strike into the bottom right corner of the net.
HALF-TIME: Leicester City 1-0 Aston Villa
Well, what a dramatic end to the first half! In fairness, Leicester could have been two or three goals up if David Nugent had taken his chances. As it turns out, the deadlock was broken by Paul Konchesky in the dying seconds of the first half.
It's a deserved lead for the home side as they have looked the most dangerous in the final third. A cagey game was expected, but it's been rather open between the two teams. The difference is that the Foxes have shown more desire, while Villa have looked sluggish at times. They've had spells of possession due to having an extra man in midfield, but their goalscoring efforts have been limited.
It's going to be difficult for Villa to get back into this game now, unless they find some intensity in the final third. Agbonlahor has had some movement up front, but Benteke has struggled to make an impact so far. The Belgian managed to score, but his effort was rightly disallowed due to him being in an offside position. Villa will need to find some attacking threat from somewhere if they want to get something out of this game.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, the half-time scores are as follows:
Burnley 2-1 QPR
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Everton 0-0 Man City
Swansea 0-1 West Ham
West Brom 0-0 Hull City
RESTART! The home side get us underway for the second half. Can Villa get themselves back into the game?
Leicester start quickly as Knockaert drives down the left and delivers a cross into the area, but Guzan gets to his nearpost and easily gathers the ball.
Villa get a corner at the other end with Cole lining up to take the set piece, but the ball is allowed to drift over the byline. Poor from the visitors, and pretty much sums up their game so far!
Albrighton comes inside from the right and attempts a low drive towards goal, but his effort gets a slight deflection as it bobbles into the hands of Guzan.
SAVE! A second goal was beckoning for Leicester when Albrighton easily gets away from his marker to deliver a cross into the box. The ball is high so James can only launch a diving header, but Guzan is able to tip it over the bar.
Guzan does well again as Albrighton picks out Ulloa with a ball over the top after Villa give the ball away cheaply. The goalkeeper reads it well, though, and comes out of his area to head the ball clear.
BOOKING! It's a silly challenge from Dean Hammond as he brings down Clark in his own half. The Leicester man goes into the book for the cynical challenge.
Cissokho tries to find the equaliser for Villa with a low shot at goal from the edge of the area, but once again, Morgan does his defensive duties well to block the shot.
Villa are responding well at the moment and have had a decent spell of possession. Westwood knocks the ball to Benteke in the box, but his shot gets a slight deflection and in the end is comfortably saved by Hamer.
SAVE! Guzan comes to the rescue again after Okore gives the ball away to Nugent. The Leicester forward finds Albrighton with a short pass and the former Villa player unleashes a powerful shot at goal, but Guzan manages to get in the way.
Leicester cry for a penalty when Ulloa goes down in the box, but replays show that the forward delays his shot and falls when he receives some slight contact. The home side will be hoping that they don't rue these missed opportunities!
BOOKING! Ciaran Clark gets a yellow card for a foul on Knockaert, who needs treatment from the medical staff, but he seems okay to continue.
Villa get some hope with a set piece after Konchesky gives away a corner, but none of the players can find the end of Westwood's delivery. Okore eventually gets some space, but his attempt goes wide.
The visitors get a free kick in a favourable position outside of the area after Konchesky brings down Hutton. Westwood slides in into the path of Hutton, but his cross soars past his teammates and out of play.
CHANCE! Cleverley gets an opportunity to equalise when the ball falls to him from a corner, but instead of trying to blast it at close range, the midfielder goes to place it and it flies behind.
SUBSTITUTIONS: The home side made a double change as Lawrence comes on for Albrighton, while Ulloa makes way for Vardy. Villa also make a substitution as Weimann replaces Cole. Minutes later, Leicester make their final change as Hammond limps off the field to be replaced by King.
Hutton tries to flick the ball over the top for Cleverly, but Konchesky reads the movement well and receives a nudge from his opponent to earn a free kick.
SUBSTITUTION: Sanchez comes off the pitch to be replaced by Richardson, which sparks a chant of "you don't know what you're doing" from the travelling Villa fans.
Villa look unlikely to get on the scoresheet today, but if they do it will be very harsh on Leicester, who have been the better side. A one-goal lead is always dangerous though.
The home side come close again to doubling their lead. Nugent turns well in the box to pass the ball back towards Lawrence, who leans back to unleash a shot with the side of his right foot. His effort, however, flies over the crossbar.
Interestingly, Leicester have had less than 40% of the ball, but could be up by three of four goals. Villa's possession statistics may be strong, but Lambert's side continue to struggle to find the back of the net.
Knockaert plays the ball forward to Vardy, who has a chance of being through on goal, but Okore gets his body in front to snuff out the opportunity and draw a foul from Vardy.
Leicester hold their line well once again when the ball is hit over the top searching for Benteke. The Belgian is rightfully flagged offside when the pass is played.
Morgan stays calm with Benteke lurking behind him as he manages to play the ball back to his goalkeeper. Villa are pressing for an equaliser, but it is looking less and less likely.
James searches for Vardy with a ball over the top, but Okore is able to hook the ball away to prevent the Leicester forward from getting on the end of it.
CHANCE! That could have been the moment for Villa. The ball breaks to Cissokho on the left side of goal, but the full-back struggles to control it and sends his effort high over the crossbar.
SUBSTITUTION: Cissokho's shot was his last touch of the game as he is taken off the field and replaced by Charles N'Zogbia.
SENT OFF! Oh dear, ugly scenes at the King Power as James and Clark almost come to blows. Both players are sent off by referee Michael Oliver. James is given a straight red for a two-footed challenge on Okore, while Clark is issued with a second yellow card for his angry reaction to James's tackle.
FULL TIME: Leicester City 1-0 Aston Villa
The first half ended in dramatic fashion and the second half mirrored it with both Ciaran Clark and Matty James getting sent off. With regards to the result, Leicester have continued their fight for survival with a 1-0 triumph, which was hugely deserved. For Villa, they are struggling to find that winning formula and Paul Lambert definitely has work to do. That's all from me for now. Thanks for joining and until next time, goodbye.
