Talking Heads: Rodgers, Smith, Albrighton & Grealish Speak Ahead Of Villa Park Encounter

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Talking Heads: Rodgers, Smith, Albrighton & Grealish Speak Ahead Of Villa Park Encounter

Leicester City head across the Midlands on Sunday to tackle Aston Villa on matchday 25 in the 2020/21 Premier League season.

2021-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

Talking Heads: Rodgers, Smith, Albrighton & Grealish Speak Ahead Of Villa Park Encounter

Leicester City head across the Midlands on Sunday to tackle Aston Villa on matchday 25 in the 2020/21 Premier League season.

2021-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

Talking Heads: Rodgers, Smith, Albrighton & Grealish Speak Ahead Of Villa Park Encounter

Leicester City head across the Midlands on Sunday to tackle Aston Villa on matchday 25 in the 2020/21 Premier League season.

2021-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

Talking Heads: Rodgers, Smith, Albrighton & Grealish Speak Ahead Of Villa Park Encounter

Leicester City head across the Midlands on Sunday to tackle Aston Villa on matchday 25 in the 2020/21 Premier League season.

2021-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

Talking Heads: Rodgers, Smith, Albrighton & Grealish Speak Ahead Of Villa Park Encounter

Leicester City head across the Midlands on Sunday to tackle Aston Villa on matchday 25 in the 2020/21 Premier League season.

2021-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

- Aston Villa entertain Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday (2:05pm GMT kick-off)- The Foxes are third in the table, while Dean Smith's Villa sit eighth in the standings- Smith and Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media on Friday- Midfielders Marc Albrighton and Jack Grealish also previewed the fixture

While Villa emerged from Leicester with three points back in October, courtesy of Ross Barley's late stunner at King Power Stadium, it's the Foxes who currently hold an advantage in the league.

Ahead of Sunday's clash, key figures from both dressing rooms have been speaking in the media...

On City's away form this term, Brendan Rodgers told the media on Friday: “I always think, whether the stadiums are empty or full, it’s about winning the game. The players have performed at a really high level and consistently. In other games, where we haven’t maybe played quite to our level, we’ve shown a brilliant mindset and a toughness and a spirit within our team. That will get you through games. We always want to play attacking, creative football, but we also know that we have to, fundamentally, defend well. Over the course of the season so far, we’ve been able to do that. Whichever shape or system we’ve played, we’ve been able to defend well, so we have to do the same on Sunday, but we’ll look forward to that challenge and test.”

Villa manager Dean Smith, meanwhile, commented on Leicester's stature in the Premier League: “I think they’ve become one of the big ones [clubs]. The winning of the Premier League a few years ago catapulted them into that group. With the season they had last year they were very unfortunate to miss out on the top four. I think they would have made it if we hadn’t gone into lockdown. They’ve continued to impress this season and it doesn’t surprise me. I would certainly put them up there as one of the teams that’s breaking into that big six.”

Former Villa midfielder Marc Albrighton previews the clash: “Obviously, last season, their aim was to stay in the league and they managed to do that on the final day with a bit of drama. It set pulses raising, I'm sure, at Villa Park. I was delighted to see them stay in the league and be here again this season. This year, they've been fantastic. They've had plenty of clean sheets and the goalkeeper they've brought in has brilliant for them. They work hard as team and I think that's been crucial for them this season.”

Villa captain Jack Grealish tells avfc.co.uk about the Birmingham side's upcoming run of fixtures: “We’re in a good place, we still have a few games in hand, but we have a few sticky games coming up now which will obviously be tough. Leicester are one of the most in-form teams in the league at the moment and they’ve got great players all over the pitch. We know how much of a tough game that will be but we just need to take it one game at a time.”

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