At A Glance
A third straight Premier League win is the prize on offer to Aston Villa if they can keep their fine form going against Leeds United at Elland Road on Thursday night.
The positivity gained from beating Brighton 2-0 at the Amex was continued at Villa Park on Saturday as Steven Gerrard’s side thrashed Southampton 4-0.
Maximum points in those games has propelled Villa to 11th in the table, with a top-half spot now within striking distance.
Opponents Leeds have endured a torrid time since playing out a 3-3 draw with Villa last month, losing their subsequent five league games.
The latest of those, a 1-0 loss at Leicester City, was new head coach Jesse Marsch’s first game in charge.
The American will be hoping he can turn around the team’s poor home form, which has seen them win three of 13 league games this season, on his Elland Road debut.
Standout Stats
Leeds have won just one of their last nine Premier League home games against Aston Villa (D5 L3), having won three in a row against them at Elland Road before this.
The away side has lost just three of the last 16 Premier League games between Leeds and Aston Villa (W7 D6).
Aston Villa have lost three of their last four Premier League games in Yorkshire, though the exception was a 1-0 victory at Leeds last season. The Villans had lost just one of their previous 18 matches in Yorkshire in the competition before this (W9 D8).
Having won six of their first seven midweek Premier League games following their promotion, Leeds are now winless in their last three on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in the competition (D1 L2), conceding 16 goals across these three games.
Leeds have lost their last three home league matches, last losing four in a row at Elland Road in September and October 2015 in the Championship. In the Premier League, they last had longer losing run at home between September and December 2002 under Terry Venables (five in a row).
Aston Villa have won just four of their last 16 Premier League matches against sides starting the day below them in the table (D4 L8), losing seven of their last 11 such matches (W3 D1), including their last two - 1-0 defeats to Newcastle and Watford in February.
Leeds have conceded four goals in each of their last two home league games, a 4-2 defeat to Man Utd and 4-0 defeat to Spurs – the Whites last shipped 4+ goals in three consecutive home league games back in September/October 1960 in the second tier. The only two Premier League teams to ship 4+ goals in three home games in a row are Derby County (April/May 2008) and West Brom (Dec 2020/Jan 2021).
This is Jesse Marsch’s first home league game as Leeds United manager – he has won his first home league match at his previous three clubs, netting four goals in each of the previous two (4-1 vs SV Mattersburg with Red Bull Salzburg in 2019 and 4-0 with RB Leipzig vs VfB Stuttgart in 2021).
Daniel James scored a brace in Leeds’ away 3-3 draw with Aston Villa earlier this season, with Tommy Wright the last Whites player to score more than once home and away against the same opponent in a league season in 1984-85, scoring two away and a hat-trick at home against Notts County.
Only Danny Ings (9) and Ollie Watkins (8) have been involved in more Premier League goals for Aston Villa this season than Philippe Coutinho (6 – 3 goals, 3 assists), despite the Brazilian only playing seven games for the club. Indeed, Coutinho is averaging a goal or assist once every 87 minutes for the Villans this term.
The Last Meeting
There was little emphasis on defending when the two sides met in February, playing out one of the most entertaining games of the season so far.
A high-energy start saw Leeds hit the front through Dan James before Philippe Coutinho scored one and assisted two for Jacob Ramsey.
United hit back before half-time via James and they secured a point thanks to Diego Llorente’s second half strike.
Team News
Steven Gerrard will have Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne available again after the duo missed Saturday’s 4-0 win against Southampton.
Carney Chukwuemeka is also fit to return, while Marvelous Nakamba is the only absentee.
Leeds will be without Tyler Roberts for three months after he picked up a hamstring injury last time out.
Jesse Marsch says Patrick Bamford will start on the bench, while Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips are progressing well in their recoveries.
The Boss
“We know we’re in for a tough game. Watching Leeds at the weekend, they could have easily have got something out of the game. They were very dangerous going forward and we know they’ve got great attacking players. They didn’t give too much away the other end, so there was an improvement, from afar. I’m sure he’ll be wanting to get the Elland Road crowd right behind him, it’s his first home game. We have to be ready and prepared for that. It’s got all the makings of being a fantastic game.”
Steven Gerrard
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