Paul Merson and Chris Sutton Share Their Predictions for Aston Villa vs Leicester City, Backing Villa with Confidence.

Leicester City began the season under Ruud van Nistelrooy with promising results, securing four points from their first two matches.

However, their form has drastically declined since then, with the team losing their next four games and conceding a troubling 12 goals in the process.

Their most recent matches have seen Leicester suffer heavy defeats, including a 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday, December 29, a 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Thursday, December 26, and a 3-0 defeat to Wolves on Sunday, December 22.

Their struggle continued with a 4-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday, December 14.

As a result, Van Nistelrooy’s side has dropped to 19th place in the Premier League standings.

Leicester will face Aston Villa in a crucial match on January 4th, with the kick-off scheduled for 3pm.

A win could see them climb out of the relegation zone, but predictions from pundits Paul Merson and Chris Sutton suggest that this may be an unlikely outcome.

Paul Merson, commenting on the match, noted that while Aston Villa’s form has slightly dipped in the 2024/25 season compared to the previous year, they still sit in ninth place in the league, 15 points ahead of Leicester.

In their last encounter on August 31st, 2024, Villa triumphed 2-1, and Merson is confident that Villa will come out on top again.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, he predicted a 3-0 victory for the home side, emphasizing that Leicester’s recent slump, which has seen them lose heavily to teams like Manchester City and Wolves, will continue.

Merson highlighted that Leicester has struggled defensively, conceding large margins, which is a serious issue as they fight against relegation.

He firmly believes that Villa will return to winning ways and push for a top-four finish.

Chris Sutton, known for his more balanced approach to predictions, also shares Merson’s view.

Sutton acknowledged that Villa will be without suspended players Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers but still expects Leicester to lose.

In a conversation with BBC Sport, Sutton predicted a 2-0 defeat for Leicester at Villa Park.

He noted that Villa has been strong at home, while Leicester’s away form has been dismal, with only one win and two draws from nine away matches this season.

With Leicester embroiled in a relegation battle, Sutton suggested they would find it tough to survive if their poor form continues.

Sutton also observed that although Leicester showed moments of promise against Manchester City, including missed opportunities, their overall performance was not enough to avoid another loss.

Given Villa’s solid home form and Leicester’s ongoing struggles, Sutton expects the Foxes to suffer another defeat, extending their losing streak to five matches.