Leeds United will host Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday, looking to bounce back from their disappointing run of form.
Leeds United are coming into this game vs Aston Villa on the back of four defeats from their last five league matches. The hosts are without a win in their last six meetings against Aston Villa. Daniel Farke’s men are currently 16th in the Premier League table, and they will be desperate for survival in the Premier League.
The Whites need to pick up important points at home if they want to stay up this season. Meanwhile, Aston Villa are in impressive form. The Villans have five wins from their last six matches in the league. They are also unbeaten in the last six matches against Leeds United.
The West Midlands outfit will certainly fancy their chances, and they will look to pile further misery on the home team. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
The home side will be without Harry Gray due to a knock. Meanwhile, there is some good news, as Wilfried Gnonto (calf) and Sebastiaan Bornauw (knee) are fit and available to take on Aston Villa this weekend.
Leeds United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Aston Villa, with Karl Darlow in goal. Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit the away side on the break. Meanwhile, Pascal Struijk will start alongside Joe Rodon at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff will add defensive cover and physicality to the side in the middle of the park. Ethan Ampadu will add drive alongside them. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Leeds United vs Aston Villa, with Brenden Aaronson and Noah Okafor on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Darlow; Bogle, Struijk, Rodon, Gudmundsson; Stach, Ampadu, Longstaff; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor
Aston Villa
Youri Tielemans continues to miss out with a calf injury, while Andres Garcia is recovering from a muscular issue. Tyrone Mings and Amadou Onana are struggling with a hamstring injuries. Onana, Garcia, Ezri Konsa (calf), Lamare Bogarde (knock) and Matty Cash (muscular) face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Leeds United, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will pair up alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn will add defensive cover and drive in the middle of the park. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.
Donyell Malen and Evann Guessand will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs Leeds United this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, McGinn; Malen, Rogers, Guessand; Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have kept a clean sheet in their last 3 away matches against Leeds in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have won five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- 14 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Leeds United have lost four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Aston Villa have four wins and two draws in their last six matches against Leeds United.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The Aston Villa striker is our key player to watch out for. The England international is an excellent player, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net.
Leeds United have been quite vulnerable this season, and they will struggle to contain Watkins. He could cause all sorts of problems for them in the final third. Aston Villa will need him to step up and produce a defining performance if they want all three points.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-1 Leeds United
Both teams will be playing for the three points here, and this will be a cracking contest. They are in desperate need of a victory here, and neither side is expected to sit back and take a defensive approach.
This will be an open game with a fair few chances. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, but Aston Villa have more quality, and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Unai Emery and his charges.