Leicester City’s three new signings sparked excitement in the fans and “a new energy” in the squad that helped Brendan Rodgers’ side grab their first Premier League win of 2023 at Aston Villa.

Harry Souttar, Victor Kristiansen, and Tete all started at Villa Park, where the away end was decked in green-and-gold flags to welcome the club’s first-ever Brazilian. Supporters were raucous even before kick-off, despite the club’s poor run of form in the Premier League, such excitement was felt in the squad too, Rodgers said.

With that sense of freshness, City were able to produce an inventive display in attack and score four goals, with Tete sending fans wild when he netted the third just before half-time. The victory, a first in the Premier League since November, eases relegation worries.

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Rodgers said: “It was the most (flags) I’ve seen outside of Brazil! Other than when I was in Rio, I’ve never seen so many Brazil flags.

“We had a freshness and a new energy in the team. I’ve been saying this for 12 months, every team needs it, especially when you have exciting players and hungry players. The crowd responded with the flags and they were great for us. They really pushed us and really helped the team.

“Tete was what I’ve been talking about for about 18 months, a right winger who can take the ball, pass the ball, look after the ball, make runs, and work. What a debut for him. It was really good.

“You just see he knows football. He knows the type of game we’re looking to play. He stretches the game. He’s a winger on the outside. He can beat players, his touch is immaculate. He’s got a good weight of pass. But he can also run in behind so his timing and view of the game is so good. His finish was absolutely brilliant.

“He loves football. Off the pitch, he’s super professional. He’s got a team of people that look after every need for him as well as in the club. It’s a joy to see a young player, especially in a tough game, to see him play like he did. It shows the talent he has.”

James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho also got on the scoresheet, with Dennis Praet sealing the victory in the second half. Rodgers felt the attacking quality on display was more reminiscent of how his teams usually play.

He added: “It was a top performance. Everyone was clear on Aston Villa’s form and how they’ve been since Unai (Emery) came in. I thought the players were brilliant today. Really creative. It felt like a team of mine, being more offensive and aggressive.

“We were unfortunate for the first couple of goals. The first one, Youri (Tielemans) was down, the shot comes in from the edge of the box where he would have been. The second one being a deflection.

“There were areas where we could be better in those but overall I thought we defended with a calmness and managed the game really well. Offensively, we were excellent, we looked a real threat, and looked dangerous. Our four goals were outstanding, so it was very pleasing."

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