Fightback victory at Aston Villa presents Leeds United fans with perfect pre-Christmas treat

And when Kemar Roofe buried a third goal – in the 95th minute – the pre-Christmas joy experienced by the travelling support and their player idols was almost overwhelming.

The YEP fans’ jury got their feet back on the ground long enough to pen a few celebratory words – for Sunday’s victory and the fact that Leeds United sit atop the Championship table.

Oh, and they all pretty much acknowledge the stat that teams sitting top of the table at Christmas, generally gain promotion to the Premier League come May.

Take a look at what they have to say:

DAVID WATKINS

Top that for a pre-Christmas treat if you can! At 2-0 down at half-time, it seemed we were doomed to the sort of defeat I half expected.

Enter Jack Clarke and commence one of the greatest comebacks in our recent history. Clarke’s stunning strike to get us back in the game seemed to give us only a glimmer of hope but with the backing of a raucous following, a belief in the spirit of Christmas and the players’ belief in the power of Bielsaball, everything turned.

Leeds dominated the next half hour in a manner we saw in those early games back in August when the likes of Stoke, Derby and Norwich, good sides all, were made to look very ordinary just as Villa look now.

A typically powerful header from Pontus Jansson brought us level and, for most of us in the Leeds end, that would have done nicely.

If you are going to win a game though, there is always something very satisfying about doing it in added time and doing it two days before Christmas … well, that’s just perfect!

Man of the match: Pablo Hernandez

ANDY RHODES

They just continue to amaze, don’t they? Six wins on the spin for the first time in 11 seasons and top at Christmas. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Over the course of this run, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds have won under all sorts of different circumstances and, with this performance, they’ve shown that they can fight back against the toughest of opponents.

Once again, Jack Clarke was the catalyst, providing the raw drive and spirit needed to carry Leeds forward and change a game. While they started dreadfully, Leeds stuck together and, in the end, strong performances and goals came from all over the pitch. If Leeds can show that sort of spirit and that sort of character through the second half of the season, not many teams will be able to stop them.

Perhaps the most impressive thing is their continued good form despite the ongoing injury crisis Bielsa faces, not that he’s ever used it as an excuse.

Now, time to sit back and enjoy Christmas, not that Bielsa will let the squad indulge too much.

Man of the match: Jack Clarke

KEITH INGHAM

Incredible, outstanding, amazing! There are moments that determine where a team ends up; maybe the 3-2 victory at Villa Park thanks to Kemar Roofe’s stoppage-time winner might just be one of them.

Leeds were 33/1 at half-time to win and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few supporters have a little extra in their back pockets! I can’t speak highly enough of all the players in yellow involved in this cracker of a game.

To say that Leeds were ‘dead and buried’ thanks to two early goals was maybe premature and told only half the story of a compelling first half. Leeds should have had at least one, possibly two, goals had Jack Harrison and Mateusz Klich taken their chances. Pablo Hernandez and Gjanni Alioski also sent efforts just wide before the break.

As in recent games, teenager Jack Clarke was introduced at the start of the second half and it was his delightful run and superb finish that gave Leeds hope just before the hour mark. Within minutes the away end was bouncing as Pontus Jansson headed in Hernandez’s corner kick to equalise for Leeds.

Leeds were denied a clear penalty when a Villa defender stopped a goal-bound shot, Nyland was on hand to deny Alioski and Roofe couldn’t turn in the rebound, Nyland then produced a superb save to deny Klich with time nearly up.

The game went into injury time and Leeds had one more attack left in their tired legs. Alioski ran at the Villa defence before hitting a hopeful cross in the penalty area which Elmohamady headed into the path of Leeds’ top scorer, Roofe, who blasted the ball past Nyland to spark wild scenes from both the Leeds players and supporters.

Merry Christmas to one and all. TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

Man of the match: Jack Clarke, stunning goal and scared the living daylights out of the Villa defenders.

MIKE GILL

If one game defined the Bielsa effect on the Whites, this was that game.

Thrilling, high-scoring matches with spectacular turn arounds are usually a coach’s nightmare because they are invariably based on defensive incompetence by both sides. This game was a rare exception to that rule. At no point did United look capable of losing this game, even when they retired at half-time 2-0 down.

Yes, the finger of accusation could be pointed at Jack Harrison, Adam Forshaw and Bailey Peacock-Farrell for the two-goal deficit but nobody could accuse the Whites of letting their heads drop.

Villa started the second half well but soon faded as Jack Clarke split their defence with a fine individual goal.

When Pontus Jansson’s bullet of a header made it 2-2 we breathed a collective sigh of relief. But what is a Christmas cake without the icing?

This was provided by Kemar Roofe.

Villa looked spent and Dean Smith gave Leeds his grudging approval.

Man of the match: Pontus Jansson

SHAUN SMITH

On Friday my score prediction was 2-3 with Leeds United taking all three points and so it came to pass.

Sure, when Aston Villa went to 2-0 up there may have been a little bit of anxiety among some fans but knowing my 100 per cent record on the fans’ jury for correct score predictions, I was relaxed. This is a massive win.Victories like this will give the team great confidence. With Carl Frampton lookalike Barry Douglas feeling a bit iffy before kick off and the average age of the bench being pre-natal, Leeds we’re up against it but there’s character to this side and it comes from the top.

Those triple training sessions back in August are proving their worth and the players believe. Gjanni Alioski had his best game for a long time and was a thorn in Villa’s side

And, like Josh Warrington the night before, there is guts here but there is no shortage of talent either. Well done Leeds and we remember that the side top at Christmas on 10 successive occasions have gone on to win promotion. Tis the season to be jolly. Enjoy.

Man of the match: Gjanni Alioski

MATTHEW EVANS

This was a bizarre game that turned into a beautiful game. Bizarre because I was reasonably happy with how we’d played at half-time despite us being two goals down thanks to some slack defending. Beautiful because the memory of a yellow-clad Kemar Roofe sprinting towards the away end celebrating a 95th-minute comeback winner is mine forever.

Fresh from watching Josh Warrington beat the odds in Manchester on Saturday night it was a dream to see United beat even longer odds and ram the Aston Villa fans’ earlier taunts right back down their throats.

Our performance was even more impressive when you consider the long injury list and the late addition of Barry Douglas to that list.

Pablo Hernandez was incredible, Gjanni Alioski had his best game for months, Kemar Roofe fought to the last, Jack Clarke changed the game but Kalvin Phillips and Pontus Jansson were the rocks that the comeback was built on. Jansson’s equaliser means he takes my man of the match.

Man of the match: Pontus Jansson