Premier League: Leeds Hoping to Turn the Corner Against Villa

Aston Villa vs Leeds United

Leeds United are planning to win their first Premier League match since the start of November when they visit Aston Villa at Villa Park on Friday.

They did kick off 2023 with back-to-back draws against West Ham United and Cardiff City in the FA Cup third round, but Jesse Marsch’s boys are not satisfied by those results.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, have improved under Unai Emery with three wins, one draw, and one loss in the English top-flight. But they’ll be eager to bounce back after they were eliminated by a League Two side in the FA Cup during the weekend.

This is certainly one of the top matches to look forward to this weekend, so read on below as SBOTOP previews this game.

Talking Points

Aston Villa look to respond following shock loss

Aston Villa made the headlines for the wrong reasons when they were defeated by Stevenage last Sunday during their FA Cup third round tie.

The Villas were ahead when Morgan Sanson scored in the 33rd minute. However, the League Two side produced an incredible comeback to unravel the hosts.

Substitutes Dean Campbell sealed the 2-1 victory with his injury-time winner after Jamie Reid scored the equaliser after converting a spot-kick following a red card tackle by Leander Dendoncker.

Aston Villa have now advanced from just one FA Cup tie since reaching the 2015 finals. This means that they now only have the Premier League to focus on this term.

They’ve had positive Premier League 2023 results, as they are fresh from a 1-1 draw against Wolves and a 2-0 win over Spurs.

But Aston Villa won’t have John McGinn, Diego Carlos, Matty Cash, and Ludwig Augustinsson for the meantime, while Leander Dendoncker is going to serve his one-match ban.

It’s not all bad news, though, as Boubacar Kamara might make his cameo after a long hiatus. The 23-year-old defencive midfielder suffered a knee ligament injury last September.

Wholesale changes for Leeds United

Jesse Marsch didn’t put out his strongest XI against Cardiff City, which resulted in a 2-2 draw. After visiting Aston Villa on Friday, Leeds United have to play the FA Cup third round replay against the Bluebirds on Wednesday.

Ilian Meslier, Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper, Robin Koch, Marc Roca, Tyler Adams, and Rodrigo will be among those to return to the starting XI, while youngsters Willy Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville should keep their starting spots.

Rodrigo is still Leeds United’s top scorer with 11 goals, so look for him to be aggressive against the Villas on Friday.

Patrick Bamford has a chance of returning to the squad following injury, but it’ll be in a limited capacity, while Marsch might consider starting Max Wober after an impressive debut from the bench on Sunday.

Wober came from RB Salzburg last week on a four-year deal. He is a versatile defender who can play at both left-back and centre-back, and Marsch is already familiar with what he brings to the table.

Furthermore, Luis Sinisterra, Adam Forshaw, Archie Gray, and Stuart Dallas are doubtful to play in this fixture.

History

Aston Villa and Leeds United met earlier in October in a heated goalless draw. The Whites were reduced to 10 men when Luis Sinisterra was sent off after 48 minutes, but they managed to earn the point.

Former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard was frustrated by the result. And 19 days later, he was relieved of his duties following a 3-0 defeat to Fulham.

The Villas are undefeated in their last four Premier League matches against the Whites (W2, D2), though, keeping three clean sheets in this run. However, the Whites have lost just one of their last six Premier League visits at Villa Park (W3, D2), which was a 2-0 loss in February 2004.

Leeds United last beat Aston Villa at Villa Park in October 2020, as Patrick Bamford notched a hat-trick en route to a 3-0 scoreline.

Betting Tip 

The Premier League 2023 odds favour Aston Villa to win, but their margin for error against their visitors is small. The Villas are installed at 1.95, while Leeds United are pegged at 3.80, and chances for a draw are at 3.40 in the 1X2 market.

We’re expecting another tight affair just like in the reverse fixture, so we’re not anticipating many goals, making Under 2.75 @ 1.84 our recommended bet.

A win for Aston Villa would put them in the Top 10, while the same outcome for Leeds United would pull them further out of the relegation scrap.

 

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