Leeds United v Aston Villa: YEP Jury give their big-match predictions

ANDY RHODES

After an impressive win against Southampton in the week, Leeds will be looking to build on their top-half position with another home win, this time again Aston Villa.

Dean Smith’s side have impressed this season, largely thanks to clever recruitment and the seemingly maturing Jack Grealish.

However, the injury to Villa’s talisman will give Leeds the confidence that they can leapfrog them in the table.

Patrick Bamford and Raphinha continued to shine in midweek, while Stuart Dallas continues to blow us away with player-of-the-year standard performances.

Emi Martinez has thwarted many of Villa’s opponents this season with man-of-the-match displays, while Ross Barkley has been one the year’s shrewdest signings.

United have been threatening to break into the top half of the table for weeks but have always found someone in their path. Villa crumbled under the pressure back in October. Could this be a repeat performance?

Prediction: Leeds United 3 Aston Villa 0.

MATTHEW EVANS

Aston Villa’s arrival in West Yorkshire comes on the back of a great win against Southampton where the scoreline looked more comfortable than the reality.

This will be Villa’s first trip to Leeds since the infamous ‘fair play’ incident where Marcelo Bielsa and 10 of his players allowed Villa to score unopposed because of a perceived misdemeanour leading to Mateusz Klich’s opener.

This time around it will be the pitch that is of greatest concern. The replacement turf from Spurs is already looking bare in patches and is clearly stopping this Leeds side from playing their best football. Patrick Bamford has given up all pretence of diplomacy in his post match interviews and is openly critical of the Elland Road ‘Christmas ice rink.’

With that in mind it’s fortunate that Jack Grealish, a man who doesn’t need much encouragement to fall over, is unavailable for Villa and that might make all the difference. I’m hoping for a repeat of the away fixture and a dominant Leeds display to generate two 3-0 wins in a row.

If Patrick Bamford can get another hat trick then all the better.

Prediction: Leeds United 3 Aston Villa 0.

KEITH INGHAM

Well that was better wasn’t it? A good 3-0 win over a team that not so long ago was sitting ahead of soon-to-be champions, Manchester City.

And tomorrow brings a chance to do the ‘double’ over Aston Villa. The Midlanders will probably be without Jack ‘Tom Daley’ Grealish and have doubts about a couple of others. There is now a certain rivalry between the teams since both were promoted from the Championship so it would be good to get another three points on the board which could virtually guarantee Premier League football next season.

Marcelo Bielsa, unless Mat Klich is unavailable, won’t change a winning team but, if the Polish international is out, there may be a rare start for Pablo Hernandez who came on in the second half against Saints. It was also good to see Diego Llorente complete a full 90 minutes in his home league debut for the club and he nearly marked it with his first goal too.

Another tight game coming up but Leeds can win this if they show the same level of performance they did in the second half on Monday.

Southampton arrived at Elland Road in midweek having had their recent problems but did enough in the first half to worry the Leeds defence and, if I’m being honest, should have been ahead at the break.

They weren’t because, for once, ‘Lady Luck’ smiled our way and VAR and the referee’s whistle kept the scoreline blank.

In the second half, Leeds could have mirrored the 7-0 scoreline of the 1970s when Don Revie’s team ripped Southampton apart in their pomp.

All three of Leeds’ goals had something special about them; Tyler Roberts’ sublime pass for Patrick Bamford to open the score and the Brazilian genius Raphinha, who set up Stuart Dallas for the second and scored the third direct from a free-kick.

The winger is, without doubt, the best player we’ve signed in a very long time.

One word on the pitch, if Andrea Radrizzani still has the receipt for it, he needs to contact Spurs for a refund; it’s nearly as bad as the one they dug up!

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Aston Villa 1.

DAVID WATKINS

For the fifth-consecutive game, Leeds face another side battling for points in that all-important mid-table section of the Premier League.

Our record is won two, lost two with defeats at Arsenal and Wolves and home wins against Crystal Palace and Southampton. Now it’s Aston Villa’s turn to try their luck on the Elland Road skid pan! The reverse fixture at Villa was tight for 55 minutes until Leeds struck the first blow then Patrick Bamford landed a second and a knockout third to complete a superb 19-minute hat-trick.

It made it look more comfortable than it was; similar to the way the Saints’ game panned out. The big question is whether Jack Grealish will be fit; he’s Villa’s talisman, much like Zaha is to Palace, Vardy for Leicester, or Kalvin Phillips for Leeds. All four find it hard to win without their main man but Leeds came through that barrier on Tuesday. I’m guessing Grealish will be missing and that should tip the balance.

As always, though, it will be close and any bit of luck could swing the game either way.

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Aston Villa 0.

JACOB STARR

Victory tomorrow against Aston Villa would see Leeds overtake them, after a convincing midweek win over Southampton propelled the Whites back into the top half of the table.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if Helder Costa replaces Jack Harrison in the starting line up after providing two assists from the bench in midweek, following up his goal from the same scenario against Arsenal.

An overturned penalty and a disallowed goal, after a free-kick in build-up play was taken before the whistle was blown, left Saints aggrieved at two correct decisions. Controversy over nothing. Despite the new pitch showing no signs of improvement, second-half goals from Patrick Bamford, Stuart Dallas and Raphinha got Marcelo Bielsa’s men back on track following two successive defeats, and sets us up nicely for the contest with a Jack Grealish-less Villa.

The three points against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side also put a halt to Leeds’ run of five consecutive defeats when playing without Kalvin Phillips.

Ironically, the last time we won without our talisman prior to Tuesday, was in the return fixture against Villa back in October.

Fortunately for us, Dean Smith’s team will be lacking their own star man. Grealish has been in scintillating form for his boyhood club this season, so it was a big boost for Leeds when he was ruled out.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Aston Villa 1.

MIKE GILL

A fine second-half performance from the Whites against Southampton propelled our favourites back into the top half of the Premier League table.

The classy Diego Llorente, stunning Raphinha and a reliable cast of supporting characters put the disappointment of the Wolves game behind them. United can again look up rather than over their shoulders.

The fact Leeds have drawn only two games is significant and endorses Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play. A draw, as part of an unbeaten run, may be good for morale but single points take a long time to add up – ask Scott Parker or Sam Allardyce.

Aston Villa are not too keen on draws but their form has been a bit patchy of late. We are told that the highly-talented but hardly-likeable Jack Grealish is probably unavailable but they still represent a stiff challenge.

We too have selection problems. Just when Jamie Shackleton seemed to be settling into his shared role with Mateusz Klich, he picked up a knock but Bielsa did find a solution. We should be confident whatever the starting line-up is.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Aston Villa 1.

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