Pérez: A Totally Different Game

- Leicester City welcome Aston Villa to King Power Stadium on Sunday (7:15pm BST kick-off)
- That clash will be the first meeting between the two sides since a 4-0 win for the Foxes in March
- Forward Ayoze Pérez believes Dean Smith's men will pose a difference, heightened challenge this term
- The Spaniard also discusses City's encouraging start to the new Premier League season

The Villans visit King Power Stadium on Sunday after making a 100 per cent start in their opening three top-flight matches - including a magnificent 7-2 victory over champions Liverpool.

Last term, City enjoyed two league successes over Smith's men - with a comprehensive aggregate scoreline - but Pérez believes Villa will pose a far sterner test for the Foxes in 2020/21.

"Well, that can be positive (last season's record)," the Spaniard told LCFC TV. "But that's also the past, so we can not think about that. It's a new season, it's a new game.

"Everything is new. We can take the positive from the other games, we can think about what we did well against them to be able to replicate it again on Sunday, but it's a totally different game.

"They are in a good moment right now, but we need to make sure we are a strong side at home and we need to get the points."

Leicester themselves have made an impressive start to the new campaign, also winning their first three matches, but a defeat by West Ham United served as a reminder to maintain performance levels.

Pérez says everyone in the Foxes camp is now determined to bounce back from that Hammers reverse and get back to delivering the sort of displays which defined their early-season form. 

"It's a good start, a very good start," the 27-year-old added. "Obviously, with the ambition and the talent that this team's got, it could have been even better.

"You can think about the 12 out of 12, but it's a long season. Obviously, we need to think about that as well.

"It's going to get busier now, the schedule, so we need to make sure everyone in the team, in the squad, is focused and ready and fit enough to be able to play.

"We need to stick together because, as I said, there's going to be tough moments during the season, where we have to be together, but we are really looking forward for what's coming and it's a big challenge for us.

"Obviously, the Europa League as well. It's a challenge in terms of being regular as a team.

"We know how tough the Premier League is, but also now with Europa League, you know, there's a lot of travelling and stuff like that. So, that's a challenge for ourselves.

"We always want to do well, but it's also a challenge to be able to perform in all the competitions."

All times BST.