Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho will be banking on his goalscoring feat against Aston Villa to score his second Premier League goal of the season when Leicester City visit Villa Park today for a Match Week 26 tie.
The former Manchester City forward has scored more goals against Aston Villa than against any other side in England and will be hoping to extend his record against Dean Smith’s side to seven goals from nine games.
The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner began his goalscoring spree against Aston Villa in January 2016 when he scored his only senior career hat-trick in a FA Cup game between his former club, Manchester City and the Villans. The match ended 4-0 with the Nigerian involved in all four goals scored at the Villa Park after providing the assist for Raheem Sterling to score the fourth goal of the game.
In the League Cup, the Nigerian scored in each of the two games he played for Leicester City against Aston Villa. He scored the equaliser in the first leg at the King Power stadium and was on target again in the return leg albeit the Foxes were sent packing from the competition after losing 2-1 at the Villa park.
Iheanacho scored just once in their five Premier League meetings with the only goal coming in Leicester City’s 4-1 drubbing of their host at Villa Park. The Nigerian provided the assist for Jamie Vardy to score the opening goal of the encounter on 21 minutes before he doubled the Foxes’ advantage in the 41st minute.
Iheanacho has won four, drawn two and lost two of the eight games he has so far played against Aston Villa, scoring six times and provided two assists.
The Super Eagles star will now be hoping he returns to the starting line-up for the fifth time in 13 games this season after sitting on the bench for all 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat of Liverpool last weekend at the King Power stadium.
If he plays, it will be his 130th in the Premier League since he made his debut in the competition in August 2015.
Iheanacho has scored 22 times and provided 13 assists in the 129 games he has played since his debut. He has fired 145 shots with 59 of them on target and has a 41% shooting accuracy.