Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of today's Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Leicester City at Villa Park. Both teams are currently struggling in the bottom half of the table, so there's plenty at stake this afternoon. Team news should be in shortly.

ASTON VILLA: Guzan; Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho; Sanchez, Westwood, Cleverley, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor; Benteke

ASTON VILLA SUBS: Given, Lowton, Herd, Richardson, Bacuna, Grealish, Robinson

After seeing his side earn a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in midweek, Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has made a couple of changes to his starting XI. Carlos Sanchez and Charles N'Zogbia both return, replacing Joe Cole and Andreas Weimann. Cole misses out through injury, while Weimann is suspended.

LEICESTER: Schmeichel; Simpson, Wasilewski, Moore, Konchesky; Mahrez, Cambiasso, James, Schlupp; Vardy, Ulloa

LEICESTER SUBS: Drinkwater, King, Albrighton, Hamer, Powell, Nugent, Wood

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has also opted for a two changes following his team's 3-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in midweek. Danny Simpson and Liam Moore are both given the nod, while Ritchie De Laet and Wes Morgan make way. David Nugent and former Villa winger Marc Albrighton are among the subs.

While both of these teams are in need of the points, it's safe to say that Leicester are the more desperate of the two. The Foxes currently sit four points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table and are on a winless run of nine games. Their last victory was that incredible 5-3 win over Manchester United, which seems like an awfully long time ago now...

Villa have also had it tough lately, but they picked up a rare win in midweek with a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace. Christian Benteke got the goal on his return from suspension, helping Villa move towards the top half of the standings. Another victory today and they will climb up to 11th.

#lcfc defender @dannysimpson will make his full #lcfc debut against @AVFCOfficial today. Good luck Danny! #AstLei pic.twitter.com/0K8DpNVl5X — Leicester City (@OfficialFOXES) December 7, 2014

A big talking point from a Leicester perspective this week has been manager Nigel Pearson's spat with a fan during the team's defeat to Liverpool. Pearson is understood to have told the supporter in no uncertain terms to go away after being insulted from the stand. Either way, the Foxes boss believes that the incident has galvanised his squad:

"These things are regrettable, but they happen from time to time and if it brings us a bit closer together then all well and good.

"I think it is good for us and has probably galvanised the feeling within the camp as the players were exceptionally unhappy with one or two things the other night. It has galvanised how we feel.

"It is strange it is really so positive because you would almost expect it to be something different yet there is a collective resilience both in terms of state of mind and physically as well. Hopefully we can get that elusive win. The players know they are doing OK in terms of performances. We are not picking up the points we would like."

Meanwhile, Pearson's counterpart at Aston Villa has offered his full sympathy to the Leicester boss:

"I absolutely do (sympathise with him). It's not nice. I've heard little things about what has happened but I don't know all the details. I dont like the criticism that managers get. We try to do a good job but it is a hard job."

UPDATE! Today's early kickoff in the Premier League has finished at Upton Park, where West Ham United have beaten Swansea City 3-1. The Hammers are certainly flying at the moment. You can read Sports Mole's match report right here. Just make sure that you come back.

HEAD TO HEAD: Leicester can take some encouragement from the fact that they have the better record when it comes to past meetings against Villa. The Foxes have won 38 games compared to 28 for the Villans. Meanwhile the two sides have played out a total of 22 draws since they first came up against each other over a century ago.

The last match played between Leicester and Villa saw Leicester earn a 1-0 win in the League Cup back in 2007, but the Villans have been the more dominant team in recent times with four wins from their last six meetings.

Got a spare few minutes before kickoff? Why not check out our very own video preview of today's match:

He may only be on the bench today, but Leicester winger and former Villan Marc Albrighton has had his say on this afternoon's clash: "It's going to be a good contest. Both teams are down there struggling so it's a game that we're going with confidence into and we're looking to win the game. If there's any game where we can stop our rot, it's this one. We're quite capable of going there and upsetting them.

"We had a dip not so long ago where performances were down, and although we haven't found the cutting edge to win a game yet I think performances have been improving."

It's worth mentioning that a win wouldn't actually take Leicester out of the relegation zone today. However, it would move them off the bottom of the table and up to 19th place, one point adrift of safety. Despite their woeful run in recent weeks, the Foxes aren't actually that far behind the rest of the pack. Nigel Pearson is sure to be telling his players this, reassuring them that they are far from doomed.

Leicester might also take some heart from the fact that they are up against the weakest attack in the league this afternoon. Villa have managed just eight goals in their 14 games so far, an unenviable that manager Paul Lambert will be keen to fix. That said, Leicester have the second worst defence in the top flight having conceded 24 goals so far. At the risk of putting the kiss of death on this match, we could be in store for a few goals today...

Not long to go until kickoff now as both sets of players begin to emerge in the tunnel. There are plenty of fans crammed into Villa Park as these two Midlands rivals prepare to go head to head.

KICKOFF! The teams are out, the pre-match handshakes have been done, and it will be visitors Leicester to get us underway. Here we go!

It's Aston Villa who have enjoyed the better start to the match, as demonstrated by Cissokho's cross from the left that almost finds Benteke. Leicester have seen a bit of the ball, but they've not shown any real urgency in the opening few minutes.

Paul Lambert will be pleased with what he's seen from his side so far. The hosts are continuing to dominate possession, passing the ball around crisply inside the Leicester half. However, they're not doing much in the way of turning their dominance into clear-cut chances.

Something of a half-chance for Leicester, who break quickly up the pitch with Ulloa and Vardy. The latter eventually plays in James, but the midfielder's wild effort from 25 yards goes high and wide.

The good news for Villa is that Benteke is looking very lively this afternoon. The striker is going to be a key player for the home side if they want to take anything away from this match. He's shown good movement so far and has also done a good job of holding up the ball and allowing his teammates to join him in attack. He rattles off his first shot from about 25 yards, only to see it go into the stand behind the goal.

CHANCE! Benteke is in the thick of the action again, almost giving Villa the lead with a spectacular strike. The Belgian is played in down the right channel before hitting a half-volley towards goal. However, his shot goes inches wide of the post with Schmeichel looking beaten all ends up.

They've had an underwhelming start to the match, but Leicester are ahead thanks to Leonardo Ulloa! Mahrez is given plenty of space on the edge of the box before seeing his shot saved by Guzan. The ball eventually falls to Ulloa, who is in the right place at the right time to tap in from close range.

How is that goal going to change the dynamic of this game? It's certainly woken the Leicester fans up. Nigel Pearson's side now have something to hold on to and defend, while Villa must go and chase the game. Looking back at the goal, it was a rare error from Guzan, who is usually so dependable between the sticks.

Leicester's lead only lasts a handful of minutes as Ciaran Clark gets on the scoresheet to draw the hosts level! Villa win a free kick about 35 yards from goal that Westwood floats into the heart of the Leicester box. Clark manages to get free of his marker before planting a header past Schmeichel with aplomb. Game on!

13 - The last three Premier League games between Aston Villa and Leicester have seen 13 goals scored (4.3 per game on average). Bumper. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 7, 2014

Credit to Villa, they refused to let their heads drop after going behind against the run of play. They're continuing to pose more of a threat than Leicester in the final third, with the likes of Agbonlahor, N'Zogbia and Benteke all working well. Meanwhile, the visitors are being limited to the occasional counter-attack.

CHANCE! Leicester come to life suddenly again as Vardy is put through on goal, but Guzan does well to rush off his line and clear the danger. The away side appeals to the referee for action to be taken because they think that Vardy was brought down by the goalkeeper, though they would be lucky for that to have gone their way.

While they've been second best so far, Leicester will be encouraged by how they've been able to breach the Villa defence a couple of times already this afternoon. The problem is that they're not seeing enough of the ball to cause any persistent problems.

Villa's passing game is pleasing on the eye, but there isn't much in the way of an end product at the moment. Cleverley and Westwood are trying to pull the strings in midfield, only to be greeted by a sea of blue shirts in front of them. To their credit, Leicester's organisation and discipline has been impressive today.

CHANCE! Leicester give themselves an opportunity to re-take the lead as Schlupp cuts onto his right foot following a run down the left, but his shot drags wide of Guzan's post. Still, that's another example of how the visitors are looking dangerous on the break.

YELLOW CARD! The first booking of the game goes the way of Villa winger N'Zogbia, who is cautioned for a high boot on James. He thinks he's been harshly punished, but he can have no complaints about that one.

It's all very cagey at the moment as both sides show little urgency to get forward. Villa are still seeing the majority of the ball, but they're still not doing a great deal with it. Part of that is down to a lack of creativity in midfield, while Leicester are making life difficult for them by being difficult to break down and get through.

YELLOW CARD! Another caution now as Leicester forward Vardy goes into the book after chopping down Westwood from behind. That was an ugly challenge, it has to be said. However, Vardy seems incredulous that referee Craig Pawson has taken action against him.

ASTON VILLA SUB: Following that foul by Vardy, Westwood is forced off with an injury. He looks to be in some pain as he's helped onto a stretcher and taken off. Kieran Richardson is on in his place.

It's all got a little feisty in the last few minutes as Clark puts in a thunderous, but fair, tackle on Ulloa. The Leicester striker stays down, though it looks as if he'll be okay. Meanwhile, the fourth official indicates that there will be FOUR MINUTES at the end of the half.

Ulloa is down again after being caught by Agbonlahor. It's fair to say that the Leicester man has not endeared himself to the Villa fans in the last few minutes.

The half-time whistle goes following a curious opening 45 minutes at Villa Park. Leicester took the lead through Ulloa, but Villa hit back soon after thanks to Clark. The hosts have certainly had the better of the match so far, though they've struggled to make their dominance count.

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson won't be to downhearted with what he's seen from his side so far. The visitors have looked dangerous on the break with the likes of Ulloa and Vardy, while Cambiasso has looked solid in deeper midfielder positions.

684 - Leonardo Ulloa has scored his first goal in 684 minutes of Premier League action. Relieved.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 7, 2014

A big disappointment for Villa will be that injury suffered by Westwood at the end of the half. The midfielder had been a positive influence with his passing and movement in central areas. He also played a key part in his side's equaliser, floating the ball in for Clark to head home.

It'll be interesting to see how the game is played in the second half because it got pretty feisty at the end of the opening 45 minutes. A few reckless challenges were flying in, halting the flow of the game. More of the same could suit Leicester, who will be keen to frustrate the hosts and get the Villa fans a bit agitated.

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! The teams are back out and it will be Aston Villa to kick us off for the second half. Leicester have made a change at the break, with Leonardo Ulloa being replaced by David Nugent.

CHANCE! Villa start the second half positively and are almost rewarded instantly with a goal from Cleverley. The midfielder is picked out by Benteke inside the box after making a sneaky run at the back post, but his wayward finish goes high and wide.

Another decent move from Villa sees Cissokho eventually receive the ball out on the left, only for his cross to go straight into the hands of Schmeichel. Leicester then go straight up the other end through Schlupp, but the defender smashes the ball off target when it looked as if he should have attempted to cross it instead.

CHANCE! Close again for Villa as Agbonlahor drives down the left before crossing for Richardson, but Schmeichel makes himself big to keep the substitute out from close range. It's been a lively second half so far.

MISS! Oh, Benteke should really be making it 2-1 to Villa. The Belgian is put clear through in goal with only Schmeichel to beat. However, his dinked effort is pushed away by the goalkeeper. It's a great stop in fairness, though Benteke should be doing better there.

#AVFC 1-1 #LCFC - MATCH PIC: @BentekeChris20 impressing greatly this evening. #AVFCLIVE pic.twitter.com/LP4wxY8SdH

— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) December 7, 2014

Villa are starting to crank up the pressure now. They're cutting Leicester open far more frequently than they were able to in the first half. Their latest attack sees Agbonlahor sent free down the right before attempting a cross into Benteke. However, Schmeichel does well to turn the ball away from danger with his feet. The Leicester goalkeeper has been excellent so far today.

YELLOW CARD! Leicester midfielder Cambiasso shows his nous by pulling Agbonlahor back with Villa looking to break. The Argentine goes into the book as a result.

YELLOW CARD! Another Leicester booking now as Schlupp is cautioned after a reckless tackle on Hutton.

ASTON VILLA SUB: The home side shake things up as we head into the final 30 minutes, with Jack Grealish replacing Cleverley. It looks as if the on-loan midfielder is struggling with a knock.

It's all hands to the pump for Leicester right now as Villa push for a second goal. The home side are looking dangerous every time that they surge forward. Agbonlahor in particular is enjoying himself out there as he switches from flank to flank in an attempt to stretch the visitors.

LEICESTER SUB: Another change for the away side now as Chris Wood enters the action in place of Vardy.

CHANCE! Time stands still for a moment as Nugent breaks the offside trap to make a run down the left. The sub tries to catch Guzan off guard with a speculative half-volley on the angle, but the goalkeeper does well to push it away. That would have been one heck of a goal had it found the top corner.

Villa find the net with 20 minutes left to take a 2-1 lead and it's Alan Hutton with his first goal for the club! Agbonlahor makes a superb run down the left before laying it off to Benteke. The Belgian spots the run of Hutton at the back post and picks out the Scot, who keeps his cool to fire in.

YELLOW CARD! Villa midfielder Sanchez is the latest name to go into the book after a foul on Schlupp. Leicester have just over 15 minutes to grab an equaliser, but you have to say that it's looking unlikely right now as the hosts continue to control the game.

ASTON VILLA SUB: Paul Lambert freshens things up by bringing off N'Zogbia and putting on Leandro Bacuna.

SAVE! Schmeichel comes to Leicester's aid again, this time with a superb save to deny Benteke. Grealish's cross from the left is met by the head of the Belgian, but the Foxes shotstopper is there to make a point-blank save. Benteke connects with the resulting corner, only to be kept out once more by Schmeichel.

LEICESTER SUB: Former Villa winger Marc Albrighton is introduced for the visitors in place of Schlupp, getting a good reception from both sets of fans in the process.

Controversy here as Paul Konchesky is sent off for Leicester. The defender clatters into Hutton before the pair engage in a spot of fisticuffs. Referee Craig Pawson then reaches for his pocket to brandish the red card. Meanwhile, Hutton receives a yellow card for his part in the scuffle.

CHANCE! Leicester almost grab an unlikely equaliser as James takes aim from 20 yards, but his effort is deflected wide. The resulting corner causes a bit of confusion in the Villa penalty area before the home side clear the danger. It could be a lively final few minutes.

CHANCES! How have Villa not made it 3-1? Agbonlahor, Grealish and Benteke all have efforts blocked or saved inside a crowded penalty area, but Leicester live to fight another day. That really should have been game over right there.

71 - Alan Hutton's goal is Villa's latest in the Premier League since Fabian Delph (82 mins) vs Chelsea in March. Patience.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 7, 2014

Another opening for Villa now as the game becomes more stretched. Grealish leads the charge with a surging run through the centre before laying the ball off to Richardson. The sub has to hit it first time and on the stretch, but his shot almost creeps into the corner.

There will be FOUR MINUTES of added time. Will that be enough for Leicester to snatch a share of the spoils?

Just a couple minutes of stoppage time remaining now and it's Villa who are seeing most of the ball. Leicester are lumping it forward whenever they get in possession, but they're struggling to make anything happen.

CHANCE! So, so close for Leicester! Wood lashes a shot towards goal from the edge of the box after Villa fail to clear their lines, only for his effort to go inches wide of the post.

The full-time whistle goes and it's Aston Villa who come out on top thanks to that second-half goal from Alan Hutton. It wasn't always the prettiest game to watch, but the hosts will be relieved to have closed it out in the end. For Leicester it means that their winless run is now 10 matches, while they remain four points adrift of safety at the foot of the table.

That's all from our live text coverage of this afternoon's game, but don't forget that you can keep up to date with all of the post-match reaction right here on Sports Mole. Thanks for your company, we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye!