“We’re on our way, to the Champions League, we’re on our way,” sang the Aston Villa supporters housed in a pocket of this blue bowl, fresh from the dates of their European adventure being finalised. There was a buoyant mood among the Villa contingent long before they recorded a victory courtesy of Amadou Onana, who profited from some invention at a first-half free-kick and a fine header by the substitute Jhon Durán in the second. At the end Onana and Durán danced before the fans, displaying some nifty footwork, the former playing conductor to those singing his name as he left the pitch.
Leicester, by contrast, were in no such mood. Steve Cooper was already aggrieved with the referee, David Coote, before he waved away appeals for a penalty three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Youri Tielemans pinching the ball from Jamie Vardy. Cooper offered some words to Coote as the referee and his assistants headed for the tunnel flanked by stewards.
The decision that gnawed at Cooper was the one that led to Villa’s opener and, he felt, changed the complexion of the game. Oliver Skipp was booked despite appearing to win the ball from behind Ollie Watkins and from the subsequent free-kick Villa prospered.
“The clear message to the players and the staff [before the season] was that the threshold of tackles and duels was going to be raised, and then we get that,” the Leicester manager said. “Then I go back to it’s just another reminder that we are where we are with refereeing. You just keep your fingers crossed every week that it doesn’t go against you on a given game day.
“I realised that more last season when I was away from the game, looking at games more neutrally. You can clearly see refereeing is behind the curve.”
The advent of the set-piece coach is not for everybody although for managers they have become a vogue, if not must-have, accessory. It was Austin MacPhee, the Scotsman who joined Villa under Dean Smith three years ago, who found himself on the receiving end of a hearty embrace from Unai Emery after Villa opened the scoring.
From the contentious free-kick, the former Leicester midfielder Tielemans cannoned a pass into the onrushing Jacob Ramsey, who piled into the 18-yard box and squared for Onana to slide in and apply a simple finish. “The players are aware of their importance,” Emery said.
If Cooper was mystified by the decision to penalise Skipp, then there was plenty more frustration to follow. Watkins, who spurned a brilliant chance to open the scoring inside 94 seconds, got away with a late foul on Skipp. Perhaps it was a case of things evening out.
Moments earlier the Leicester goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, caught Watkins inside the box but went unpunished. For Leicester, another infuriating decision hinged on the referee blowing his whistle in the buildup to what would have been a Leicester equaliser on 58 minutes. The ball struck Coote en route to Skipp, who crossed for Jamie Vardy to apply the finish. Villa’s defence stood still in anticipation of the goal being disallowed.
Leicester were growing in confidence, much like they did in the second half here against Tottenham in their opening game of the season, and Emery called for Ross Barkley and Durán. Within a couple of minutes the enigmatic Durán had doubled Villa’s lead with a superb header.
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Lucas Digne played a one-two with Ramsey and when the former levered a cross into the box, Durán peeled off Caleb Okoli and sent a fine header spinning into the top corner. It was Durán’s second touch and one that gave the visitors a degree of breathing space.
That goal triggered a triple substitution for Leicester, Bilal El Khannouss arriving for his debut after a £20m move from Genk. It was not to be a perfect afternoon for Villa, though. Leon Bailey was forced off early with a hamstring injury and Leicester grabbed what proved a consolation goal. Stephy Mavididi flew past the Villa right-back Lamare Bogarde, who spent last season on loan at Bristol Rovers and was making his league debut, and stood up an inviting cross.
Wilfred Ndidi could not direct his header goalwards but when the ball dropped Facundo Buonanotte expertly lashed in a left-foot volley.
Leicester were adamant they should have had a late penalty for a foul on Vardy but Coote dismissed appeals. Cooper was booked for his protestations.
Then, with four seconds of the allocated stoppage time remaining, Vardy was upended in the box by Ezri Konsa but the offside flag proved Villa’s saviour.