Leicester 4 Aston Villa 0 - Report

Pepe Reina’s decision to come haring out of his goal in the 40th minute allowed one-time Albion loanee Harvey Barnes to break the deadlock for Leicester.

Jamie Vardy then bagged two after coming off the bench in the second half, before Barnes completed his own double late on to condemn relegation-threatened Villa to their fifth successive defeat in all competitions.

Dean Smith’s team, who stayed 19th in the table, remain a long way from sunk yet. But after a night like this it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a case for them surviving their first campaign back in the top flight.

Certainly not when they remain so rotten on the road - this was their 11th defeat in 15 away matches this term.

And certainly not while they remain so weak in defence. Reina’s error of judgement was inexplicable for a player whose signing on loan from AC Milan in January was supposed to bring a level of composure to Villa’s backline.

But in truth Villa were fortunate not to be trailing earlier due to their continued problems defending set pieces, with Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu and Kelechi Iheanacho all missing good chances to put the hosts ahead.

Vardy doubled Leicester’s lead from the spot after Tyrone Mings was adjudged to have handled and the final 4-0 scoreline, after he and Barnes both struck again, was not an unfair reflection on a game the hosts, themselves winless since January prior to this, dominated throughout.

Villa had beaten the Foxes over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-finals and Smith had hoped his team could repeat their gutsy showing the final against Manchester City. Instead, he was treated to another nightmare away day.

The other chance to Villa’s line-up, Reina aside, saw Conor Hourihane handed a first start since January in place of Anwar El Ghazi, who dropped to the bench.

Villa started well and created two good openings inside the opening 10 minutes. The first fell to Hourihane after a good link-up play between Grealish and Targett. But having received the latter’s low cross into the box eight yards out, the Republic of Ireland international was unable to make a clean connection on the shot.

It was a similar story a couple of minutes later when Hourihane whipped in a free-kick and Mbwana Samatta, sliding in at the far post, was unable to direct the ball the right side of the post from six yards out, though in fairness to the striker he did appear to lose his footing at the vital moment.

Villa were composed until the moment Bjorn Engels came close to putting through his own net following a miscommunication with Reina.

Evans rose to meet the resulting corner and powered a low header which the goalkeeper kept out with his feet, Barnes eventually heading over the bar as Villa scrambled to clear.

Defending set pieces has been an issue for Smith’s team all season and they were fortunate to escape at Leicester’s next corner when Soyuncu was left unmarked at the far post, the Turkish defender sinking to his knees in despair after sending a header over the bar.

Villa were shaking and Frederic Guilbert was forced into a risky, though ultimately well-executed challenge, to dispossess James Justin after the full-back had raced into the box.

Another big chance then went begging for the hosts when Iheanacho could only head wide from less than six yards out having been allowed to escape and meet Ricardo Pereira’s cross.

Yet having just about survived some less than convincing defending, Villa went behind five minutes before the break due to a calamitous error by Reina.

Marc Albrighton’s ball over the top sent Barnes away down the left but the wideman still had plenty to do before Reina made the inexplicable decision to race out of goal.

Barnes duly flicked the ball round him and, having then beaten Bjorn Engels, fired his finish between Mings and Matt Targett.

Reina made slight amends at the start of the second half when he prevented Iheanacho from doubling the lead, saving the striker’s low shot with his legs.

Villa then had a rare chance when Hourihane shot, right-footed, just over the bar but it was still Leicester who looked by far the more dangerous. The visitors were again fortunate to escape when Guilbert lost the ball 25 yards from his own goal but Iheanacho could not cleanly control James Maddison’s pass and the chance went begging.

Iheanacho could be seen beating his fist on the ground in frustration and was soon replaced by Vardy. The latter then netted Leicester’s second within four minutes of coming on.

Barnes broke down the left and fired in a cross destined for Vardy until it hit the top of Mings’ arm as the defender flung himself forward, trying to cut it out.

Referee Michael Oliver pointed straight to the spot and after the decision was confirmed following a lengthy VAR check, Vardy rolled the spot-kick down the middle to double the home side’s lead.

Vardy made it three with 11 minutes to go, firing in at the near post after initially seeing a cross blocked, before Barnes struck late to further deepen Villa’s gloom.

Leicester (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans, Soyuncu, Justin, Ndidi (Mendy 83), Praet (Tielemans 76), Maddison, Barnes, Albrighton, Iheanacho (Vardy 59) Subs not used: Morgan, Perez, Fuchs, Ward (gk).

Villa (4-5-1): Reina, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Targett, Elmohamady (El Ghazi 63), Luiz, Nakamba, Hourihane (Davis 67), Grealish (c), Samatta Subs not used: Konsa, Taylor, Drinkwater, Trezeguet, Nyland (gk).