Summary

  • Aston Villa XI: Bunn, Bacuna, Okore, Lescott, Cissokho, Westwood, Gana, Veretout, Ayew, Kozak, Gil.

  • Leicester XI: Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Drinkwater, Kante, Mahrez, Okazaki, Albrighton, Vardy.

  1. 'I'm quite a sweaty guy...'published at 17:20

    Matt Elliott
    Former Leicester City captain on BBC Radio Leicester

    Matt ElliottImage source, PA

    "In training I would wear a few layers, but I'm not someone who would wear gloves and hats. I would train in the sort of kit I would play in on a match day. 

    "Anyway, I'm quite a sweaty guy... I couldn't be bothered with taking kit on and off!"

  2. 'Richards shouldn't have spoken to fans'published at 17:19

    Charlie Adam
    Stoke City midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live's weekend preview show

    "As soon as Tim Sherwood got the sack at Villa the first person I thought of was Nigel Pearson. He knows the league. He was the perfect man for the job when Tim went. Villa are struggling confidence-wise.

    "Fans are frustrated, they pay good money. They've got an opinion. You have to take it on the chin if you're not performing. As a player you don't need to say anything.

    "Micah Richards tried to talk to the fans. It was a bad idea. Take it on the chin and move on. Villa and Newcastle, you know if you keep them quiet for the first 15 minutes - the fans will be on their back and then you're on the ascendancy."

    Micah RichardsImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    Richards is on the bench today...

  3. Pearson 'frustrated' at manner of Foxes exitpublished at 17:17

    Nigel Pearson
    Former Leicester manager on BBC Radio 5 live's weekend preview show

    Claudio RanieriImage source, Reuters

    "There's a lot of football being played at Leicester - it's continued to develop. Claudio Ranieri recognised what was working well and kept things going and allowed people to be themselves.

    "I'm pleased to see it's continued to go well. I'm frustrated that it came to an end in the fashion it did but that's football."

    On his next job: "It depends on whether there's a right fit for me. I need to commit myself totally to a job. For that I need to feel someone is totally committed to me doing the job for them. I've been out for longer than I thought I'd be. But if I don't work again this season and end up in the right job it'll be worth it."

  4. 'The cake at the top of the table'published at 17:15

    Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri: "This is a young team and because last season was about fighting for survival they know the bitter taste of fighting at the bottom. Now they taste the cake at the top of the table and the difference is very high.

    "I think slowly, slowly [the players] believe they can do something special. It's not easy of course, but it is important to try."

    Mmmmmm cakeImage source, memegenerator.net
  5. Is confidence growing at Villa?published at 17:13

    Aston Villa manager Remi Garde: "The win for Leicester against Villa earlier this season was a very important win for them. To beat them this weekend would be a big boost for us.

    "The victory over Palace gave us more confidence. The players know the level they can play at. Hopefully we can do this from now until the end of the season."

  6. Villa up in nose-bleed territorypublished at 17:11

    Villa fans - do you dream of a table where you're mid-table? Well on the BBC Sport injuries table that's exactly where you are.

    Leicester are just near the top in basically every table.

    Read more here.

    InjuriesImage source, .
  7. View from the gantrypublished at 17:09

    Jonathan Pearce
    Match of the Day commentator at Villa Park

    "After registering a first home win for 248 days, can Villa really get another just four days later?

    "They need a run of several wins in a row to keep alive hopes of survival. There's little chance. No side has ever managed it after picking up just 11 points after 21 Premier League games.

    "Leicester, with this season's best away record, have answered every question of all the doubters so far. Their defence isn't conceding and Jamie Vardy can start scoring again here."

  8. Lawro's predictionpublished at 17:08

    Aston Villa v LeicesterImage source, #bbcfootball

    BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson pits his wits against a different guest each week this season - and he's predicting a 2-1 home win in this one.

    Lawro's opponent for the latest round of Premier League fixtures are Creed stars Michael B Jordan & Tony Bellew.

    Everton fan and professional boxer Bellew plays 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan in the film, that sees Sylvester Stallone reprise his role as the former world heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa.

    At the risk of making myself a social outcast, I've never seen any Rocky film. Can they be that good really? I mean surely it's no Cool Runnings.

    Lawro's full predictions v Creed stars Jordan & Bellew

  9. Play our Predictor gamepublished at 17:07

    Aston Villa v Leicester

    Fancy yourself as a footballing version of Mystic Meg? Here's your chance to prove that you can see into the Premier League future.

    You can have a guess at the scores of all the top-flight fixtures yet to come this weekend (including this one) by playing our Predictor game.

    The more successful you are, the higher up the table your club will go - and your league placings are mirroring those of your on-field heroes.

    Villa supporters are marooned at the bottom, while Leicester fans are flying high in the top four. Head over there now to help the cause.

  10. Leicester team newspublished at 17:04

    Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri also names an unchanged team following the Foxes' win over Tottenham on Wednesday. A point will be enough to put them back on top of the table, at least until Arsenal play Stoke on Sunday.

    Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Kante, Drinkwater, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy

    Leicester XI v Aston VillaImage source, BBC Sport
  11. Aston Villa team newspublished at 17:03

    Remi Garde sticks with the same side that beat Crystal Palace in midweek to give him his first win as Aston Villa manager. That means Villa skipper Micah Richards is on the bench despite recovering from an ankle problem. 

    Mark Bunn starts again in goal with Brad Guzan benched.

    Aston Villa XI: Bunn, Bacuna, Okore, Lescott, Cissokho, Veretout, Westwood, Gueye, Gil, Kozak, Ayew

    Villa XI v LeicesterImage source, BBC Sport
  12. 'Villa unlikely to replicate Foxes escape'published at 17:01

    Nigel Pearson
    Former Leicester manager on BBC Radio 5 live's weekend preview show

    "Villa need to transform their form. To do that you need to have everyone in the camp pulling in the same direction. The difference is last season at Leicester we weren't outplayed on too many occasions.

    "We were being beaten by the odd goal. We played some really good football. I don't think anyone would be able to recognise too much of a difference in terms of confidence at any stage during the season.

    "What happened last season was phenomenal really. It doesn't sound to me from the outside that Villa have what it takes to replicate that."

    Listen to more of this here.

  13. Can Villa take heart from Foxes?published at 17:00

    Villa ParkImage source, Reuters

    On 16 January 2015, Leicester were bottom of the Premier League table.

    On 16 January 2016, after a great escape last year, they are level on points at the top of the table.

    On 16 January 2016, Aston Villa are bottom of the Premier League table.

    On 16 January 2017, will they be challenging for the title? 

    (Maybe, but it won't be the Premier League table...)

  14. Welcomepublished at 18:03 Greenwich Mean Time 12 January 2016

    Welcome to our live page for Aston Villa v Leicester. We’ll have text commentary here from 17:00 BST. You can keep up to date with all the reaction to today’s games here.