Aston Villa v Leeds

Aston Villa are hanging on to their outside title challenge. Nobody is talking about it but they are just 3 points behind City. Can they grab another 3 points here?

Aston Villa v Leeds – Villa Park 16:00 CET

Team News:

Villa miss Tielemans, Elliot, Kamara, Allyson and McGinn. Back up keeper Bizot is suspended. Good news in that Matty Cash is available after injury.

Leeds lose Okafor but see Struijk, Stach and James back from injury.

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Formations:

4-2-3-1 the go to formation for the home side. Narrow side with strong defensive play, they build out from the back but are prone to mistakes doing this. High intensity pressing as always without the ball.

3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 for Leeds who have found their feet with three at the back. Wing backs up and down the line and overloading the opposition full backs.

Statistics:

Referee: Michael Oliver (Average cards 3.48 Yellow 0.08 Red)

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Match Preview:

Aston Villa have shown mixed form recently, recording three wins, one draw, and two defeats across all competitions. They secured a place in the Europa League’s top eight, allowing them to bypass the group stage, but exited the FA Cup with a subdued performance against Newcastle while fielding a rotated side. Their home league form remains impressive, however, with nine victories from thirteen matches, highlighting their strength at Villa Park.

Leeds are 15^th as it stands and just 6 points above West Ham in the only remaining relegation place. Away from home they have been poor with just 1 win in 13 games. Recent form for them is no too bad though with 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss.

Betting Preview:

Odds are very good on an Aston Villa win. With 20 points separating the sides it’s hard to fathom why Villa are so high. Take the home win and reap the rewards.