05 February 2023

Kelechi Iheanacho: Leicester still have a lot to work on after Aston Villa win

05 February 2023

Kelechi Iheanacho insists Leicester need to “give more” after their thrilling comeback win at Aston Villa.

The Foxes went into the game with only goal difference keeping them outside the Premier League relegation zone but turned in a scintillating display which saw them leave Villa Park with a 4-2 victory.

An Ollie Watkins strike and an own goal from Harry Souttar – on his Leicester debut – twice had Unai Emery’s Villa ahead, but they were pegged back by James Maddison and Iheanacho.

Tete, also making his Leicester bow, put the visitors in front at the break before substitute Dennis Praet wrapped up the win.

“It’s been a little while,” Iheanacho told LCFC TV of Leicester’s first league win since November.

“But getting this win now, we’re happy, and we can build into the next games. Hopefully we can continue in those games. We had a good feeling coming into this game.

“We need to do a bit more. It was a good performance, but we need to give more, running forward and back, challenging for first balls and second balls, winning battles.

“There’s a lot of things to work on, but hopefully it’s good momentum for the next games.

“With the new guys as well coming into the game, they did really well today as well. We know what we have to do now.”

This was just the second time Villa have lost in the league since Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in November.

The Spaniard said after the game he would continue asking his team to play out from the back – even though Villa mistakes led to all of the goals they conceded.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was beaten four times by the Foxes and was frustrated that Villa could not push higher up the table by continuing their good form.

“I think we were unbeaten in January, three wins and one draw,” the World Cup winner told VillaTV.

“We thought it was the time to make that next step, to be closer to Europe. It is a really, really hard one to take.

“It was just a couple of mistakes, three mistakes for them to score, we gave them the lead. After that it was quite hard to come back.

“We started the second half trying to get those mistakes away, we couldn’t, they took the lead again through another mistake.

“But I’m OK with mistakes, I’ve made a few mistakes here as well. It was a frustrating day for me as well.”

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox