Leicester City will head into the international break with just one point out of a possible nine after a defeat to Midlands rivals Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s side took the lead just before the 30-minute mark after a well-worked free-kick routine saw the ball end up at the feet of Belgian international Amadou Onana, who slotted home from six yards out to give Villa the lead.
The Villans doubled their lead early in the second half when Lucas Digne's tremendous cross found the towering Jhon Durán, who headed home for his second goal of the season just two minutes after coming on.
Substitute Facundo Buonanotte scored a close-range volley to give Steve Cooper’s side a lifeline, but it was not to be, and the away side left the King Power Stadium with all three points.
It was a second league defeat in a row for Leicester, but what did they learn from it?
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Facundo Buonanotte continues to impress
In The Foxes' first two Premier League games, Buonanotte received much praise from fans and pundits alike.
The Brighton loanee had looked dangerous on the counter and had the energy to run for himself and captain Jamie Vardy when Leicester did not have the ball, consistently putting the opposition defences under pressure.
When he came off the bench in this game against Villa, he did all of that, plus he scored, so why did Steve Cooper opt to leave the Argentine out of the starting XI?
Cooper decided to go with Wilfred Ndidi in the more advanced role; undoubtedly, the thinking would have been that the former Nottingham Forest manager was wary of the threat that Aston Villa posed and thought using Ndidi further up the pitch would allow for more solidity.
Instead, it just meant that Emery’s side could advance through their own third easily and get the ball to the more creative players without much pressure from the Leicester forwards.
If Buonanotte had started, Villa’s defenders would likely not have been as comfortable on the ball due to the 19-year-old's desire to win the ball back and maintain pressure on the opposition.
Buonanotte will be a key figure this season; he offers something different from the Foxes' other central options.
Expect him to start against Crystal Palace in a few weeks time.
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Spirited performances won’t be enough for the Foxes
This game was eerily similar to Leicester’s first game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur in that the visitors controlled the game for the most part, took the lead, and then Leicester mounted a spirited comeback, which ultimately was not enough. The only difference being that they got a point in the first game.
Cooper’s side have shown tremendous character in their first two home games this season, but they have looked nowhere near good enough for large parts of those games, and in the Premier League, you will be punished if you play poorly for 60-70 minutes.
They got away with it against Spurs, but Villa showed them that showing spirit and relying on the home crowd will not keep you up.
Cooper is famed for his pragmatism and ability to adapt to in-game situations; he has forged a reputation for it, which is partly why Leicester wanted the Welshman.
But in every game, they have played so far, it feels as though last season’s Championship winners have let teams take the game to them and allowed their opponents far too much freedom in all areas of the pitch.
Turning it on for 15 minutes is all well and good, but what about the other 75?
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Back three looked solid again
Despite conceding five goals in their three league games so far, Mads Hermansen, Wout Faes, and Jannik Vestergaard have all looked relatively well-organised and sturdy at the back. The trifecta clearly has a good understanding and play well together.
That is why eyebrows were raised when Cooper opted to put new signing into the starting line-up, Caleb Okoli.
There were worries that a new addition to the reliable back three might upset the balance, but instead, it looked as strong as ever, and Okoli slotted in as if he had been playing there for years.
The two centre-backs did an outstanding job limiting Villa to just 10 shots in the game and made an impressive 10 recoveries between them.
It seems that no matter which pairing Cooper chooses at the back, they will be dependable and hard to break down.
There is also an argument Hermansen was Leicester’s best player yesterday. He put his body on the line to stop Ollie Watkins from giving Villa the lead, taking a nasty blow to the head.
Mere minutes later, he made another impressive stop, maybe his best this season, again stopping Watkins from opening his account for the new season.
The Danes’ long passing was good, and his distribution to the centre-backs in front of him was excellent, too.
If Cooper can get the rest of his side to play at the same level as the back three, then Leicester stand half a chance.
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Jamie Vardy needs to share the workload
Usually, when Jamie Vardy takes to the pitch – even at the age of 37- it quickly becomes the Vardy show.
More often than not, the Premier League winner winds up opponents and makes marauding runs past opposition central defenders, constantly being at the heart of the game.
But yesterday’s game at the King Power saw the former England International take only 20 touches, the lowest of any outfield player. Due to his age, he cannot harass players when they have the ball as he used to, making it very easy for players to play through him.
Vardy has started every league game so far this season and played the full 90 minutes yesterday, but Cooper cannot keep pinning his hopes on him. There is still very much a place for him in this side, and on his day, he is still vital to this team and will have a role to play in keeping this side up, but he cannot continue to bear the weight he is being asked to.
Odsonne Édouard was signed on loan on deadline day; Cooper should start the Frenchman over Vardy and allow the experienced forward to pick his moments. But asking him to lead the line for three games in a row is too much.
