Manager Brendan Rodgers said Tete was “the winger we’ve been looking for” after Leicester’s new signing shone in an excellent win at Villa Park that edged the Foxes away from trouble at the foot of the Premier League.
The 22-year-old, a short-term signing from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, impressed throughout and scored a fine goal to suggest he could prove the spark the Foxes need to avoid a scrap against relegation.
Rodgers’ side were twice behind in the first half but rallied to claim three vital points and stem Aston Villa’s fine start to life under Unai Emery.
“Tete is direct, can take people on and score,” Rodgers said.
“He’s someone we’ve been looking for for a while. He was outstanding. We have been crying out for that balance to the team. He gives us the space in the middle by playing so wide.”
Ollie Watkins gave the home side the lead after Emiliano Buendia hit the crossbar, only for fit-again James Maddison to immediately level.
Watkins then drove a shot in off another new Foxes signing, Harry Souttar, but Kelechi Iheanacho equalised again with a header before Tete rounded Emiliano Martinez to put Leicester ahead at the break.
Philippe Coutinho had a goal ruled out for offside as Emery’s side piled on the pressure in the second half, but Rodgers saw his team seal the much-needed points when substitute Dennis Praet ran through to score.
Leicester win first ‘cup final’
Before kick-off, Rodgers said his side faced “18 cup finals” to move away from peril at the foot of the table, and the man who guided Leicester to FA Cup glory in 2021 delivered success in this game too.
That did not appear too likely in the opening stages as the energetic hosts swept ahead.
Leicester needed a game-changer and, after a productive transfer window, Rodgers now appears to have several in his squad. Maddison, making his first league start in two months, was a class act throughout and soon equalised after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall robbed Boubacar Kamara, before Tete made his mark.
The Brazilian went close with two curling efforts after good runs down the right and stayed alert to round Martinez and score with style.
“Tete was outstanding,” said Maddison. “He plays on the right, which is where I’ve had to play, so it’s nice to get some pace out there.
“There’s a positivity around the club with some new faces and we got the points today.
“Getting new players in the door gives you a lift. The table doesn’t lie, but we know we can inject some oomph to go on a winning run. We are capable of that.”
The unfortunate own goal aside, Souttar looked an imposing presence on his Premier League bow, and third new signing Victor Kristiansen also posed a threat from left-back.
The new faces held firm as Villa poured forward after the break, and a first win since the World Cup has seen Leicester rise to 13th in the table, with some tough tests ahead.
Errors cost improving Villa
Going into the game, only league leaders Arsenal had won more points than Villa since the World Cup break, and Emery will be left scratching his head at how this one got away.
Individual errors were costly as Kamara was stripped of the ball inside his own penalty area for Maddison’s equaliser after collecting a pass from his goalkeeper under pressure, before he also lost the ball cheaply in the build-up to Tete’s strike.
Villa still managed 19 shots on goal in a busy attacking display, and had Watkins converted an open goal, and had Buendia’s header looped in instead of hitting the crossbar in the first half, the result could easily have been different.
But Praet capitalised on another error at the back to finally kill off Villa late on.
“We had mistakes today,” Emery said. “Leicester were at the bottom of the table but they have very good players and we gave them chances.
“We had good moments, created chances, but our mistakes were really big mistakes. At 1-0 we were [doing] well but we lost our confidence a bit when they scored.”
With just two defeats under the former Arsenal manager, Villa are 11th and could have a European place in sight if they have a strong run-in.
Player of the match
IheanachoKelechi Iheanacho
Aston Villa
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Squad number10Player nameBuendíaAverage rating
5.88
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Squad number11Player nameWatkinsAverage rating
5.85
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Squad number18Player nameYoung
Average rating5.55
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Squad number31Player nameBailey
Average rating5.46
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Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
Average rating5.41
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Squad number41Player nameJ Ramsey
Average rating5.31
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Squad number1Player nameE Martínez
Average rating5.30
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Squad number4Player nameKonsa
Average rating5.26
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Squad number23Player namePhilippe Coutinho
Average rating5.14
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Squad number15Player nameÁlex Moreno
Average rating5.11
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Squad number5Player nameMings
Average rating5.10
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Squad number27Player nameDigne
Average rating4.98
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Squad number44Player nameKamara
Average rating4.97
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Squad number2Player nameCash
Average rating4.96
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Squad number22Player nameDurán
Average rating4.37
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Squad number32Player nameDendoncker
Average rating4.22
Leicester City
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Squad number14Player nameIheanacho
Average rating8.10
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Squad number37Player nameTetê
Average rating7.79
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Squad number26Player namePraet
Average rating7.78
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Squad number10Player nameMaddison
Average rating7.77
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Squad number16Player nameKristiansen
Average rating7.47
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Squad number4Player nameSöyüncü
Average rating7.41
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Squad number9Player nameVardy
Average rating7.39
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Squad number24Player nameMendy
Average rating7.34
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Squad number22Player nameDewsbury-Hall
Average rating7.13
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Squad number7Player nameBarnes
Average rating7.11
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Squad number8Player nameTielemans
Average rating7.04
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Squad number3Player nameFaes
Average rating6.96
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Squad number15Player nameSouttar
Average rating6.89
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Squad number27Player nameCastagne
Average rating6.82
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Squad number33Player nameThomas
Average rating6.78
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Squad number1Player nameWard
Average rating6.42
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-4-2
- 1E Martínez
- 18YoungSubstituted forCashat 59′minutes
- 4Konsa
- 5Mings
- 27DigneSubstituted forMoreno Loperaat 45′minutes
- 41J RamseySubstituted forCoutinhoat 45′minutes
- 44KamaraSubstituted forDendonckerat 82′minutes
- 6Douglas Luiz
- 10Buendía
- 31BaileySubstituted forDuránat 82′minutes
- 11Watkins
Substitutes
- 2Cash
- 7McGinn
- 15Moreno Lopera
- 16Chambers
- 22Durán
- 23Coutinho
- 25Olsen
- 32Dendoncker
- 38Sinisalo
Leicester
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Ward
- 27CastagneBooked at 56mins
- 15Souttar
- 3Faes
- 16KristiansenSubstituted forThomasat 81′minutes
- 8TielemansBooked at 88mins
- 22Dewsbury-HallSubstituted forMendyat 67′minutes
- 37Cardoso Lemos MartinsSubstituted forSöyüncüat 83′minutesBooked at 86mins
- 10MaddisonSubstituted forPraetat 67′minutes
- 7Barnes
- 14IheanachoSubstituted forVardyat 67′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Söyüncü
- 9Vardy
- 20Daka
- 24Mendy
- 26Praet
- 31Iversen
- 33Thomas
- 34Brunt
- 40Marçal-Madivadua
- Referee:
- Darren England
- Attendance:
- 42,055
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Aston Villa 2, Leicester City 4.
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Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, Leicester City 4.
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Attempt saved. Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jamie Vardy.
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Attempt missed. Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Emiliano Buendía.
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Attempt missed. Álex Moreno (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Douglas Luiz following a corner.
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Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Timothy Castagne.
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Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Youri Tielemans (Leicester City).
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Offside, Leicester City. Harry Souttar tries a through ball, but Dennis Praet is caught offside.
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Offside, Aston Villa. Douglas Luiz tries a through ball, but Jhon Durán is caught offside.
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Çaglar Söyüncü (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Jhon Durán (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Çaglar Söyüncü (Leicester City).
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Attempt missed. Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) header from the right side of the six yard box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Douglas Luiz with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Timothy Castagne.
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Offside, Leicester City. Luke Thomas tries a through ball, but Jamie Vardy is caught offside.
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Substitution, Leicester City. Çaglar Söyüncü replaces Tetê.
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Jhon Durán replaces Leon Bailey.
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Leander Dendoncker replaces Boubacar Kamara.
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