Leicester 0 Aston Villa 5

A brace apiece from Darius Vassell and Peter Crouch, allied to a goal for Dion Dublin, condemned The Foxes to their heaviest defeat of the season although the match was marred by an ugly incident involving Ian Walker and an unhappy home supporter. 

Leicester's penchant for direct football was obvious from the kick off and an early clearance from Walker caused problems in the Villa defence. Dublin misjudged the flight of the ball but Marcus Bent blazed carelessly wide when through on goal.

Peruvian winger Nolberto Solano was making an encouraging debut for Villa and he curled a free kick over the bar while Thomas Hitzlsperger sliced wide from distance.

The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock was on 22 minutes when the hosts were rescued by the frame of the goal.

Gareth Barry's deep free kick was headed back across goal by Crouch but Gavin McCann's fierce volley from six-yards out ricocheted off the crossbar.

The Foxes then created a sound opportunity of their own but Nikos Dabizas headed Steve Guppy's free kick over when unmarked.

Villa, though, looked the more likely to score with Barry firing over after a surging run in to the penalty area.

Leicester shot-stopper Walker was then responsible for keeping the scores level at the break when he produced a smart save to thwart Vassell who jinked in to the penalty area far too easily.

The visitors forged ahead five minutes after the break when Vassell latched on to Hitzlsperger's through pass to smartly curl the ball beyond Walker.

Aside from a Bent header directed in to the arms of Thomas Sorensen, Villa never looked back in a devastating 11-minute spell when they netted four times.

Crouch poached his first goal for Villa since the final day of the 2001/02 season when heading Hitzlsperger's corner in at the far post although he did receive a boot in the face for his troubles.

On the hour mark, Crouch turned provider when he chested down Solano's centre to Vassell, who unleashed an unerring shot past a despairing Walker.

The England keeper was then involved in an unsavoury incident when confronting a disgruntled fan who had entered the pitch. Walker appeared to manhandle the intruder before he was escorted off the pitch by the stewards.

The ugly scenes did not affect Villa who quickly built on their cushion when Hitzlsperger's free kick trickled to the far post where Dublin squeezed in a shot from an acute angle, although Walker will feel he should have kept the effort out.

Crouch, enjoying one of his best games for Villa, then made it five for the visitors on 68 minutes with a crisp finish following a pull back from Mark Delaney.

Leicester's spirit never drained completely and they pressed for a consolation which would have arrived but for a combination of ill luck and desperate defending.

Delaney hacked off the line while substitute Craig Hignett was denied by a last-ditch block and also Sorensen as the Dane dived on to a loose ball.

Villa thought they had rubbed more salt in to the wounds late on when Marcus Allback volleyed home Crouch's cross but the Swede was ruled offside.