Villa 2-4 Leicester: new signings and Iheanacho key stats

Kelechi Iheanacho

• 1 goal
• 2 assists
• 3 times dispossessed
• 4 fouls committed
• 1 man of the match

One player who seemed to benefit most from a quality wide right player was our beloved Kelechi Iheanacho. For years we have struggled to fit him in as the lone striker as he likes to drop deep and find pockets of space behind the play. Brendan Rodgers sagely recognised that Kelechi could benefit more than the erratic Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy from Tete’s stretching of the right-hand side and it was rewarded in spades.

The first equalising goal displayed so much, after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall hustled the ball back to Iheanacho he calmly played it to James Maddison whose feign sent Ezri Konsa sliding all the way to the bullring before slotting in. The former Manchester City man’s diving header just before halftime was classic peeling off the defender’s shoulder before powering in. Then just before halftime, he played an inch-perfect through ball for Tete’s first Leicester City goal.

This was all enough to bag Iheanacho the man of the match award but he still can display some of his his more frustrating tendencies. He was the most dispossessed player and conceded the most fouls of any foxes player. He also missed an easy one-on-one chance at the start of the second half that could have eased the pressure on the result much earlier. He deserves to start at home to Spurs but will also need to improve in a few areas.