Leicester City’s struggles in the Premier League continued as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The defeat marked their second consecutive loss in the league, leaving Steve Cooper still searching for his first win since taking over as Leicester boss.
With just one point from their opening three Premier League matches, Cooper now faces a crucial period of reflection during the upcoming international break.
The international hiatus will offer Cooper a valuable opportunity to assess his squad’s performances and plan for their next set of fixtures, which will begin with a trip to Crystal Palace in a fortnight.
In a bid to reverse their fortunes, Cooper made three changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Fulham last weekend. Oliver Skipp, Caleb Okoli, and Jordan Ayew were all brought into the starting eleven as Leicester switched to a back four.
Skipp’s introduction saw Wilfred Ndidi moved into a more advanced midfield role—a position he occupied under former manager Enzo Maresca last season. However, Ndidi’s performance on Saturday was below par, leaving him with a lot to prove.
Ndidi’s struggles were evident as Aston Villa took a 2-0 lead through goals from Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran. Although Facundo Buonanotte’s goal in the 73rd minute provided Leicester with a glimmer of hope, they were unable to find an equaliser.
Ndidi’s performance in the match drew criticism, with Leicestershire Live rating him the lowest of all players with a score of just four out of ten.
The review highlighted Ndidi’s difficulties on the ball and his inability to maintain possession, noting:
“He pressed Tielemans well at times but he really struggled on the ball in advanced areas, with his touch loose and attacks breaking down with him in possession. City can’t afford that.”
The statistics from Ndidi’s display against Villa paint a stark picture of his underperformance. Despite being known for his disruptiveness, Ndidi won only three of his eleven duels, as per Sofascore.
His ineffective dribbling, frequent loss of possession—16 times in total—along with two fouls and being dribbled past twice, further underlined a challenging afternoon.
Cooper will be hoping that Ndidi’s performance against Aston Villa is an anomaly rather than a sign of declining form. The midfield trio of Skipp, Ndidi, and Harry Winks has the potential to be a formidable combination, but Ndidi must return to his best to solidify their midfield strength.
As Leicester prepare for their upcoming matches, restoring Ndidi’s confidence and performance will be key to their bid for Premier League survival and success.