Ross Barkley’s added-time winner maintained Aston Villa's 100% start to the Premier League season as they beat Leicester 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.
The on-loan Chelsea midfielder’s 25-yard strike as experienced defender Jonny Evans backed off was the one piece of quality in a pay-per-view game which was in danger of seeing viewers ask for their money back.
With the Premier League’s first goalless draw of the season looming, Barkley collected a pass from John McGinn and advanced 10 yards before lashing a low shot past Kasper Schmeichel.
In truth neither side deserved to win a game low on entertainment with the Foxes suffering from the absence of Jamie Vardy with a calf injury and Villa strangely low-key considering their last outing was the 7-2 win over Liverpool.
But the strike from Barkley, his second in as many games since joining, extended the top flight’s only remaining 100 per cent record, as a side which escaped relegation by just a point in July found themselves just a point behind leaders Everton.
Villa have won their opening four league games of a season for the first time since the 1930-31 campaign.
Smith staying calm
Villa manager Dean Smith insists he is not getting carried away with their brilliant start - they are the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to have won all their matches.
“We take it one game at a time as always,” he said. “We never get too high when winning and never got too low last season fighting relegation. We have to stay on an even keel.
“This was a big win today, I know they had some players missing but if you are off your game at any stage in the Premier League you can get a bloody nose very quickly.
“It was a very tight game, a scrappy game at times. It needed a little bit of quality to win the game and Ross certainly showed that at the end.”
On-loan Chelsea midfielder Barkley scored his second goal in as many games, as many as he managed in his last 42 appearances before his move to Villa Park, and Smith revealed he was a fitness doubt before the match, which is why he ran over to celebrate with team doctor Ricky Shamji after scoring.
“He’s had a bit of a knee injury so it was touch and go whether he would start,” added the Villa boss.
“He only trained on Saturday but he has done a lot of work with the doc so he’s nursed him through 90-plus minutes and a winner. I’ve certainly thanked the doc as well.”
Leicester dealt Soyuncu blow
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has his own injury worries as he was missing striker Jamie Vardy with a calf injury, which will also rule him out of the Europa League against Zorya on Thursday, while centre-back Caglar Soyuncu is likely to be out for three months with a groin injury sustained on international duty with Turkey.
“Jamie will miss the European game and probably be OK for our next league game,” said the Foxes manager.
“This one was not so serious but we couldn’t afford the risk of a tear. Soyuncu is more serious, the muscle is right off the bone so he could be out for three months.
“That is an absolute shame. He will be big miss and adds to the other boys (out injured).”
Rodgers was also frustrated his side could not hold out for a draw.
“I don’t think we deserved that, I thought we were the better team in the first half, got through them really well but we didn’t quite have that pass of quality,” he added.
“Second half it became a little bit more basketball and it is not that type of game we wanted.
“You are disappointed to lose that because if you can’t win it you don’t want to lose and to lose it in that way was disappointing.”
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