'Hopefully' - How the Aston Villa dressing room reacted to heavy Leicester City defeat

Aston Villa news includes social media reaction from AVFC players following Sunday's loss

by

Aston Villa shipped four goals to suffer their heaviest defeat of the season against Leicester City.

Villa were outclassed by the Foxes who stormed to a club-record eighth Premier League win on the bounce.

Jamie Vardy got the ball rolling to put the visitors ahead and score for the eighth match in succession.

Kelechi Iheanacho, the striker who has been linked with a January move to Villa, made it two when he got the final touch on James Maddison’s teasing cross.

https://i2-prod.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/article17384360.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_JS200789113.jpg
Leicester City's Jonny Evans (6) celebrates scoring

Villa were handed a lifeline just before half time when Jack Grealish smartly finished into the far post but Leicester scored again four minutes into the second period, former West Brom defender Jonny Evans looping a header past Tom Heaton.

The points were wrapped up when Vardy got another, but in truth there had been little doubt that Villa would be left empty-handed.

Grealish took to Twitter afterwards to admit that Villa were off the pace and shift the focus onto the trip to Sheffield United up next.

"Not good enough today as a team," said the skipper. "We are a group and look forward to Saturday's game."

Tyrone Mings, who was forced off through injury, also posted on social media.

The defender said: "Hopefully the injury isn’t too bad, we will be back fighting next Saturday."

Dean Smith batted away suggestions Villa were too open against the title chasers, saying: "Listen, you can't expect to win football matches at Villa Park when you concede 23 opportunities.

"Saying that, we go toe-to-toe with teams because we had 15 ourselves.

"I just feel, defensively, our structure should be better. Individually, our defending has to be a little bit better.

"Up until half-time, we had as many chances as Leicester. They were more clinical. They've got a player (Vardy) who, two-and-a-half years ago, was a £70m player who's in a rich vein of form at the moment. It was always going to be difficult to contain."