Leicester City tasted a fifth straight defeat in the Premier League after losing 2-1 against Aston Villa.
Leicester went into this game in 19th position, knowing a win would see them climb out of the relegation zone.
Following their promising display against Manchester City, Leicester fans were slightly hopeful that their poor losing run was coming to an end.
However, following a disappointing first half from both sides, registering just four attempts on goal between them, the game livened up in the second period.
It was Ross Barkley who opened the scoring for the hosts on the hour mark and then Stephy Mavididi responded with a goal moments later.
But there was still enough time for James Justin to make a mistake, gifting possession away near his own box, with Aston Villa capitalising through Leon Bailey.
Leicester were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa as Ruud van Nistelrooy equalled an unwanted 22-year record at Villa Park.
Leicester City equal abysmal 22-year record in loss vs Aston Villa
When van Nistelrooy arrived at the King Power Stadium, most supporters felt the feel-good factor had returned.
Leicester secured a 3-1 win over West Ham in his first match in charge before salvaging a late draw against European chasers Brighton.
Sadly, since Bobby De Cordova Reid scored that equaliser against the Seagulls, the Foxes have tasted five straight defeats and conceded a whopping 14 goals.
Alarmingly, Leicester have now conceded at least two goals per game and lost five on the bounce for the first time since September/October 2003, per Sky Sports.
Van Nistelrooy is also closing in on another unwanted record. Indeed, tasting a defeat against Crystal Palace would see them lose six consecutive games for the first time since September 2022.
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Van Nistelrooy must fix huge problem or Leicester will be relegated
It was the worst possible start to 2025 for Leicester, who have carried their poor run of form from the back end of 2024 into the New Year.
Perhaps more alarmingly, the Premier League strugglers now have the division’s joint-worst defensive record alongside bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
As a result, many now feel that failure to invest in quality during the window will see the Foxes return immediately to the Championship.
Van Nistelrooy needs to bolster his back line and luckily, Leicester are working on signing new defenders who must hit the ground running to keep them afloat.
Indeed, Leicester are reaching a pivotal few weeks, with their success in the transfer window perhaps determining whether they survive.