Aston Villa 1-2 Leicester: Five Foxes talking points

5) Et Tu, Timothy?

Since losing Ben Chilwell in the summer, questions were raised about who would man the defensive left-flank. Today, Luke Thomas supplied a solid performance, belying his 19-years. However, a more significant talking point is the debut combination of Pereira and Timothy Castagne on the right. The Portuguese occupied a forward-position and harassed the Villa box on multiple occasions from range. The interplay between both players teased the possible fruitfulness of their right-sided partnership.

The right-wing position has been a problem for the Foxes since Riyad Mahrez’s 2018 departure, with no player laying a consistent claim to the spot. Comments in recent weeks question Cengiz Ünder’s suitability, limited league appearances and failure to find the net do little to support his case. Pereira is still returning from his lengthy lay-off, today signals his capability to fight for the contended spot. Rodgers confirmed as much, stating “We’ve wanted to play Ricardo in a more advanced position for a long time.” The 27-year-old’s substitution signalled the end of the east Midlands side’s attacking play, as Daniel Amartey was called upon to shore the defensive line.

A tricky mid-week fixture beckons, as Slavia Prague make the trip to Leicester. With Maddison’s potential absence and the busy period continuing, expect to see a different style of football on show. Today showed Leicester’s flexibility in adopting an alternative approach when needed.