Leeds United 0-3 Aston Villa: Whites relegation fears deepen as Villa run riot at Elland Road

Philipe Coutinho's deflected strike gave the visitors a half-time lead before second-half goals from Matty Cash and Calum Chambers put the game beyond Leeds' reach.

Fans started leaving their seats well ahead of the final whistle as the result looked sown up long before the ninety minutes was up.

It was Coutinho, the player Marsch noted as a key threat in his pre-match press conference, who put the visitors ahead in the 22nd minute. While Ollie Watkins protested that he was held back as Lucas Digne flashed a cross across goal, Cash collected the ball on the right wing and found Coutinho on the penalty spot.

As the Brazilian let fly, Pascal Struijk's efforts to block deflected the ball past Illan Meslier, who otherwise looked set to deal with the effort.

Leeds flew out of the traps after the interval. Raphinha broke down the right wing and fizzed a ball into the danger zone right under Martinez's nose. Cash got there before James and, when Robin Koch collected the clearance, the German's effort flew well over the bar.

The home side peppered the Villa box with crosses but found no joy, despite the introduction of fresh attacking legs in Joe Gelhardt and Patrick Bamford.

Cash doubled the visitors' lead in the 65th minute after finding himself with the ball at his feet in bags of space in the box. Junior Firpo's effort to close him down were fruitless, and Cash beat Meslier at his near post to make it 2-0 to Villa.

With fifteen minutes left to play, Calum Chambers extended Villa's lead with a curling shot into the top corner.

There was further cause for concern in the game's dying minutes as Firpo was stretchered off the pitch by the Leeds' medical team, forcing United to finish the game with ten men.

Leeds United XI: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Struijk, Firpo, Forshaw (76 - Klich), Dallas, Raphinha, Harrison (58 - Bamford), Rodrigo (45 - Gelhardt), James.

Unused subs: Klaesson, Llorente, Cresswell, Shackleton, Summerville, Greenwood.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey, Watkins, Ings (70 - Sanson), Coutinho (76 - Buendia).

Unused subs: Olsen, Konsa, Traore, Young, Bailey, Chukwuemeka, Iroegbunam.

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