Leicester go top despite Aston Villa draw as Riyad Mahrez misses penalty

Leicester City returned to the top of the Premier League despite being held to a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

Rudy Gestede rescued a point for the rock-bottom hosts and denied the Foxes the chance to move further clear at the summit.

Shinji Okazaki opened the scoring, but Mark Bunn saved Riyad Mahrez's first-half penalty and the Foxes were made to pay.

Arsenal will overtake Claudio Ranieri's side on goal difference with a draw at Stoke on Sunday, with the Foxes a point ahead of the Gunners and Manchester City in their improbable title challenge.

The draw left battling Villa nine points from safety, but boss Remi Garde can at least highlight improved performances in what seems like a futile struggle against the drop.

Both sides were unchanged from their midweek 1-0 wins but there was no hint of the first half drama to come during a drab opening.

There was little of note from either side, other than Jamie Vardy's flicked header on 13 minutes which dropped inches wide.

Bunn bizarrely flattened Vardy after rushing from his area and was rightfully booked, but it was a low-key start until Libor Kozak missed a glorious chance after 20 minutes.

Robert Huth presented him with a clean run on goal after his miscued backpass, but Kasper Schmeichel comfortably saved the striker's effort, which lacked any conviction.

Kozak's last goal came in December 2013 and his selection, after manager Garde said he could leave this month, underlined how desperate Villa are.

It was a miss Villa were left to rue after Okazaki broke the deadlock on 29 minutes.

Leicester went route one as Vardy raced onto Schmeichel's kick, and his audacious lob with the outside of his foot was clawed off the line by Bunn.

The keeper then tried to stop Okazaki's follow up, but goalline technology showed the ball clearly went over.

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Tails up, Leicester went for the kill and missed a golden chance to double their lead just four minutes later. Villa were shell-shocked and conceded a penalty when Aly Cissokho blocked Mahrez's shot with his arm.

The defender was lucky to only be booked, but was bailed out when Bunn dived to his right to save Mahrez's poor spot-kick -- the winger's second successive penalty miss.

Villa's response was muted with Schmeichel claiming Cissokho's drive and -- with dad Peter watching from the stands -- he denied the defender again soon after the break.

Bunn then turned Danny Drinkwater's 20-yard effort over before Villa had a huge penalty claim rejected on 61 minutes.

Kozak and Huth tangled in the box as they challenged for Ashley Westwood's cross -- the Leicester man's flailing arm caught the Villa striker -- but referee Roger East dismissed home appeals.

The incident galvanised Villa and Bacuna wasted a fine chance when he shot straight at Schmeichel five minutes later.

But the Foxes almost doubled their lead soon after when Vardy outpaced the Villa defence and rounded Bunn. He was forced wide yet crossed for the onrushing Drinkwater, only for the midfielder to volley wide from eight yards.

Gaps had started to appear in the hosts' defence but it was Leicester who were breached with 15 minutes remaining.

Gestede had only been on the pitch eight minutes, but levelled with his fifth goal of the season when he bulldozed through and his shot flew past Schmeichel after clipping Wes Morgan.

The equaliser lifted Villa Park but the hosts failed to find a second goal, and Vardy could have won it for Leicester in stoppage time when he thrashed over from an angle.