Aston Villa return to the scene of their biggest Premier League away win under Steven Gerrard when they head to Yorkshire to take on Leeds today. The Villains won 3-0 when they last visited Elland Road in March, though the waters have been far choppier for Gerrard since. Can Jesse Marsch’s Leeds pile on the misery for struggling Villa?
Below, we’ve compiled a selection of statistics for today’s contest, which draw from the sides’ Premier League campaigns so far. You can find info on shots, corners, cards, xG, goals, assists and more in our stats pack and our data should aid your quest for success in the bet builder markets.
Predicted Lineups
Stuart Dallas is Leeds’s only injury worry ahead of kick-off and Jesse Marsch is expected to stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation at Elland Road.
Leeds lost heavily at Brentford before the international break (5-2) and youngsters Cody Drameh and Joe Gelhardt could lose their places in the XI Marsch names against Villa.
Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne are all out injured for Villa and the latter’s absence leaves the team short at left-back where versatile veteran Ashley Young is expected to provide cover.
Steven Gerrard doesn’t have a single in-form forward to call upon, though Leon Bailly, Philippe Coutinho and Ollie Watkins looks best-placed to start.
Team Stats
Leeds’s results this season have been a mixed bag (2W, 2D, 2L) though their underlying match stats indicate that they have given as good as they’ve gotten for the most part.
Leeds’s goals for and against figures per 90 are identical (1.67), while their shots for/against (13.20/12.70 p/90) and attempts on target for/against figures (4.67/4.33 per 90) have been very similar too.
Aston Villa have been found wanting in the attacking department this season and some of their underwhelming stats highlight the troubles they’ve had in the final third. Villa have hit just 0.86 goals per 90 minutes, while their xG is a paltry 1.01 (p/90).
The Villains have also served their nefarious nickname well and they’ve picked up 2.57 cards per 90 so far, giving them the league’s fourth-worst disciplinary record.
Player Shots and Shots on Target
Leeds are one of nine clubs into double-figure goals for the season and several of their forwards have been clocking up impressive numbers in the final third.
Rodrigo has been notching 1.76 shots on target per 90 minutes, while new signing Luis Sinisterra has hit 1.49. Patrick Bamford (3.71 shots per 90) has been hitting big figures, though his lack of accuracy (1.06 SOT p/90) has let him down.
Aston Villa have a catalogue of underperforming attackers this season and though Danny Ings (3.13 shots per 90), Philippe Coutinho (2.32), Emiliano Buendia (1.67) and Ollie Watkins (1.27) have been racking up attempts, few of their efforts have been of genuine quality.
Jacob Ramsey (0.91 shots p/90) has offered whispers of penetration from midfield, though John McGinn’s performances have been unusually tepid in that department.
Player Goals and Assists
Spanish star Rodrigo has had a hand in 50% of Leeds’s total Premier League goals this season (4G, 1A), while Jack Harrison has been the team’s main creative force from wide positions (3A).
Luis Sinisterra is also starting to find his feet in the Premier League. The Colombian found the net in each of Leeds’s last two assignments before the international break (vs Everton and Brentford).
No Aston Villa player has scored more than once in the Premier League this season, though Ollie Watkins has complemented his solitary strike with two valuable assists.
Jacob Ramsey broke his duck for the campaign in Villa’s last league encounter against Southampton (1-0) on September 16th. Philippe Coutinho is still waiting for his first goal or assist of 2022/23.
Leeds Cards
Leeds’s heaviest hitters this season have primarily come from midfield. Tyler Adams has been racking up 2.00 fouls per 90 minutes and has picked up two bookings for his indiscretions, while Jack Harrison (1.57 fouls p/90) and Brenden Aaronson (1.25) have also been carded twice.
Holding midfielder Marc Roca has been booked just the once, though his 1.80 fouls per 90 figure suggests more cards could be on the way for the Spaniard.
John McGinn has a reputation for seeking out skirmishes in midfield and the Scottish international has been fouled 1.90 times per 90 minutes this term. McGinn’s duels with the combative Tyler Adams should be worth watching.
Jacob Ramsey (fouled 1.64 times p90) will have to work his way past Marc Roca to get into the Leeds penalty area, while Douglas Luiz (fouled 1.48 times per 90) could be targeted by pressing-machine Brenden Aaronson when in possession.
Tyler Adams vs John McGinn
Marc Roca vs Jacob Ramsey
Brenden Aaronson vs Douglas Luiz
Aston Villa Cards
Like Leeds, Aston Villa tend to bring the most heat to their battles in midfield. Jacob Ramsey has been booked three times already this season, while John McGinn and Philippe Coutinho have been cautioned twice each.
Danny Ings (2.07 fouls p/90) has also collected two cards, though the out-of-sorts striker isn’t expected to start at Elland Road.
Attacking midfielders Brenden Aaronson (2.32) and Jack Harrison (2.16) have been Leeds’s most fouled players p/90 in 2022/23, while Marc Roca (1.20) has also been on the receiving end. All three players are expected to be in the thick of it against their Villa counterparts at Elland Road.
Flying winger Dan James’ running power can cause chaos in defensive lines, though the Welshman might have to be content with a place on the bench today.
Eight players were carded when Aston Villa visited Elland Road in March, so there could be a few old scores to settle in this afternoon’s rematch.
Match-Ups to watch
John McGinn vs Jack Harrison
Philippe Coutinho vs Marc Roca
Jacob Ramsey vs Brenden Aaronson
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That’s the end of my Leeds vs Aston Villa stats pack. Should be a high intensity affair this one, and it’ll be interesting to see if Villa can build any further momentum after their win against Southampton last time out.
If you’re having a bet on the game then do your best to keep it fun. Make sure the stakes are low and that you stay in control at all times.
