Leicester City fell to yet another defeat under Ruud van Nistelrooy this past weekend, with one star’s biggest weakness exposed.
After a brief upturn in form under Ruud van Nistelrooy, normal service has well and truly resumed at Leicester City.
Granted, they have had a tough run of games over the winter period but results are still a big concern.
Leicester faced Aston Villa in a Premier League meeting this past Saturday and despite Unai Emery’s side missing some key players, they still came out on top.
Stephy Mavididi scored shortly after the hour mark to bring the Foxes back on level terms but Leon Bailey netted the winner in the 76th minute.
Van Nistelrooy’s side are now 19th in the top flight after 20 games with a dismal 14 points to their name.
The club’s biggest issue this season has been their defending, with Wolverhampton Wanderers the only team to have shipped more in the Premier League in 2024/25.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 17 |  WolvesWolves | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 45 | -14 | 16 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 20 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 35 | -15 | 16 |
| 19 |  LeicesterLeicester | 20 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 44 | -21 | 14 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 20 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 12 | 44 | -32 | 6 |
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Stephy Mavididi weakness was exposed in Aston Villa vs Leicester City
Their backline is, of course, a big problem with Leicester fans slamming James Justin yet again after another dismal display over the weekend.
However, with the team in such bad form and goals being conceded left right and centre, Van Nistelrooy does need his forward players to start helping out more on the defensive front.
But if the Dutchman is to tighten up Leicester’s backline, he will most likely have to drop Mavididi.
The winger has shown patches of quality in the final third this term and scored against Villa but his defensive work is woeful, as highlighted by his Aston Villa stats.
| Stats | Stephy Mavididi vs Aston Villa |
| Sofascore rating | 6.1 (team-low) |
| Touches | 49 |
| Ground duels (won) | 13 (2) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 1 (0) |
| Dribbled past | 1 |
| Possession lost | 17 |
In comparison, when playing on the other flank, Jordan Ayew won eight of his attempted ground duels.
Losing Mavididi’s attacking threat isn’t ideal, but with defensive frailties the biggest problem right now, it’s clear who Ruud must replace him with going forward.
Ruud van Nistelrooy must start Facundo Buonanotte more
Van Nistelrooy commented on Facundo Buonanotte after starting him on the bench yet again versus Aston Villa.
The former Manchester United striker suggested the Argentine still has a role to play at Leicester this campaign despite being dropped of late.
And while Buonanotte is not known for his defensive work-rate, his return to the side would allow Bilal El Khannouss to be moved out wide in place of Mavididi.
El Khannouss is a central midfielder by trade and a lot more accustomed to tracking back to help out at the other end of the pitch.
One change won’t solve all of Leicester’s problems at the back, but it’s clear Mavididi’s poor defending is one of the many weaknesses that needs to be fixed.