Leicester City 0-1 Aston Villa: three things we learned

Creating chances is the real issue for Leicester City

The standard argument against the strikers lacks consistency though. Of the three strikers this season only 6 shots on target have been achieved with four of them being penalties. The current run is unsustainable. But where should the creativity be mainly coming from?

The lack of a consistent number ten has left Leicester in a puzzling paradigm since the season started. That creative mantle hasn’t really been taken up by anybody.

Harvey Barnes shows much promise and enthusiasm, but is kind of still trading on the fact of his baby face and that he is young and eager (He’s 23 in 6 weeks). In key positions against Aston Villa he too often plumped for the wrong decision by misplacing a pass , cross or striking a hopeful shot high into the stand. His excited demeanour when he gets the ball in the final third is starting to ruin many Leicester attacks as he struggles to calm himself down before making a decision.

Where’s that ruthless streak as well? As soon as Cash was booked first half for trying to yank his shorts down he should have targeted him with his pace, but not once did that happen in the second half. This sounds very harsh for a recent England international but the lack of chances being created needs to be asked of someone in a Leicester City shirt.

Ayoze Perez is quickly building some fan hate on social media (never a good place to gauge real opinion, it could be a lot of bitter Geordies in disguise). He shows much eagerness and works hard but with him not offering much going forward, bar a squirmed deflected shot in this game nor any chances created its becoming painfully obvious how little effect he is having on games. Link up play is nowhere as effective as the erratic Barnes and his chasing back leaves little to be desired. What exactly is his job supposed to be?

Maddison just isn’t on the pitch long enough to influence games, which is leaving many of us to suspect deeper fitness issues. Tielemans seems to be dropping deeper and deeper in the absence of Wilfred Ndidi and Mendy and Praet are too busy snuffing out oppositions attacks to offer anything meaningful going forward. Also, where is Cengiz Under when we need him?

The main attacking threat in many of the games has come from the full backs Justin and Castagne and against the Villains they rarely got in attacking positions as they both held strong to nullify the roaming Grealish.

Things aren’t all doom and gloom with 9 points in the bank already and European football to come. But injuries and a lack of attacking threat is starting to take over the season already in a spectacular fashion. The starting eleven against the Ukranians will surely indicate who is being pencilled in for a difficult trip to the Emirates next Sunday.