Paul Doyle was at Villa Park. His verdict is in, so get clicking! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
A reflective Dean Smith gives his opinion. “It was frustrating. I thought it was a fairly even first half in terms of chances. The ones we had we didn’t take. Jack’s gone on a mazy run and their keeper’s made a really good save, but you’ve got to make the most of those moments. I’m disappointed after the first goal, we lost the game. We got too disillusioned and disappointed by the goal, and they were very good. I’ve just said to the players, five games and we’ve got 12 points, and there were 40 minutes when we were poor. But you’ve got to give Leeds credit. It’s the first time we’ve been behind and we didn’t handle it very well. We can learn from it.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s verdict. “It was a good performance. We were better in the second half, but the first half was also good. We defended well, we attacked well, and we had the luck to score before they did, as they had a few chances as well. Struijk got a yellow early on, and there was a lot of agility in the middle of the park. He had another foul and was at the limit, so I was worried about him. I am very happy for Bamford, they were some of the nicest goals he has scored for us.”
An extremely cheery Patrick Bamford speaks to BT Sport. “It’s nice [to score a hat-trick] especially in the Premier League. It’s what you dream of growing up, so it means a lot to me. I was frustrated [with the two missed chances in the first half] but knew I’d get another one. I stuck it away and got three! I’ve got a manager who believes in me, so long as I keep working hard, he’ll keep trusting me. So it’s up to me to make sure I keep helping the team. I’m sure he’ll keep showing his faith. Villa are a good team. Someone was saying in the press that Bielsa is a myth! But I think we showed everyone that Leeds are here to compete.”
The result means Everton stay top on 13 points. Villa remain in second on 12. Leeds move up into third, until tomorrow at least. Marcelo Bielsa’s side made one hell of a statement tonight, which raises the question: if we’re going to talk about Everton, Villa, Spurs as left-field title challengers, why not Leeds?
FULL TIME: Aston Villa 0-3 Leeds United
They’re all smiles now, though. Patrick Bamford claims the match ball, reward for his superb hat-trick. But every single Leeds player can be proud of themselves tonight. They were magnificent.
90 min +5: Leeds launch one final attack, seven of their players running at full pelt in the 95th minute! Harrison lashes wide from a tight angle. His team-mates aren’t totally happy.
90 min +4: On the touchline, Dean Smith looks slightly stunned. If nothing else, at least he now knows what Jurgen Klopp felt like.
90 min +3: McGinn spins and shoots from distance. Always over the bar.
90 min +2: Harrison and Alioski combine for the 987th time this evening, nearly opening Villa up down the left. Cash makes his 986th desperate tackle. Harrison wants a penalty but he’s not getting it. Leeds haven’t stopped.
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90 min +1: In the first of five added minutes, Klich is booked for his cynicism.
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90 min: Klich pulls McGinn back. The referee plays advantage. Barkley slides Watkins in on the right. Watkins, the hat-trick hero against Liverpool, flashes across the face of goal and inches wide of the left-hand post. Too little, too late from Villa.
89 min: Targett and Grealish try to get some consolation down the left, but tie themselves in knots, the full back eventually conceding a free kick in a fit of frustration.
87 min: Liverpool beat Leeds 4-3. Villa trounced Liverpool 7-2. Leeds could easily have scored six or seven tonight. You have to love the 2020-21 Premier League. It’s been positively psychedelic so far.
86 min: Shackleton dinks in from the right hoping to tee up Bamford for his fourth. Not quite. Villa are being run ragged.
84 min: This would have been a picture-book goal. Raphinha, to the right of the centre circle, fires a forensic low diagonal pass towards Harrison on the left. Harrison pulls back for Hernandez, who spoils everything by leaning back and hoicking over. So close to another wonderful team goal. Leeds are brilliant.
83 min: Raphinha replaces Costa. Leeds showcasing their bench.
82 min: VAR quite rightly says no. Leeds hadn’t appealed.
81 min: Space for Hernandez down the right. His low cross clanks onto the arm of Douglas Luiz, so they’re checking this for a possible penalty.
80 min: Leeds are rampant. Villa have nothing. They just want to hear the final whistle.
78 min: Rodrigo’s free kick just about stays inside the ground. It’s his last act of the evening. He’s replaced by Hernandez. Other than that effort, he’s been magnificent tonight.
77 min: Barkley drags a shot wide left. Then up the other end he takes down Rodrigo. A free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the right of the D.
76 min: Mings could be forgiven for wishing he had indeed been sent off. Villa have completely unravelled, though to be fair, few teams could live with this Leeds display. The visitors have been so exciting to watch.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-3 Leeds United (Bamford 74)
This is a quite sensational way to complete a hat-trick. Rodrigo sprays a pass down the right for Costa, who interchanges with Shackleton before slipping the ball to Bamford, just inside the area but marked by four Villa shirts. No matter! He sorts his feet out, then whips a no-backlift shot into the top left despite being totally surrounded! A stunning move with a finish to match!
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72 min: Leeds keep on coming. This time it’s Costa teeing up Dallas, to the right of the D. The full-back’s shot is gathered by Martinez. Villa were looking dangerous just before Bamford’s opener; since then, nothing.
71 min: Klich takes a dig from distance. His low shot is gathered easily enough by Martinez. Then another Leeds attack, as Harrison curls in from the left and nearly sets up a hat-trick chance for Bamford. Konsa blocks.
69 min: That shot may have taken a small deflection off Konsa, but Leeds are worth their two-goal lead. Traore replaces Trezeguet. Grealish is booked for dissent. Villa are in danger of losing their composure here.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 Leeds United (Bamford 67)
A strange sort of justice is done, as a livid Bamford picks up possession from Klich, who had been driving at the Villa box. He takes a touch to the right, and from the edge of the D, pearls an unstoppable shot into the top right!
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65 min: VAR checks for the penalty. No dice, the correct decision. Then a check for the red-mist antics of Mings. He escapes. He could easily have been walking. He probably should be walking. But he gets away with one.
64 min: Bamford stands on Mings’ foot as the pair tangle in the Villa box. He goes over spectacularly, then is hauled up by a livid Mings, taking an angry fistful of shirt. Bamford goes down again.
63 min: The corner on the left is worked to Costa on the right. He cuts back for the inrushing Harrison, whose first-time diagonal shot is deflected wide right by Koch.
62 min: Harrison crosses low from the left, looking for Bamford at the near post. Konsa does well to slide the ball out for a corner, just in time.
61 min: Leeds launch another attack at full velocity. Rodrigo slips Costa into space down the right. Costa feeds Dallas on the overlap. Opportunities present themselves in the middle ... but Dallas inexplicably runs the ball out of play. Goal kick.
59 min: Leeds are suddenly back on top, and full of beans. No wonder: if they hold onto this lead, they’ll finish the evening in third place, one behind Villa.
57 min: That was some passage of play. A couple of near misses by Grealish, a spectacular save from Konsa, then the sucker punch. How did it take so long for the opening goal?
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Leeds United (Bamford 55)
Bamford starts a counter on the halfway line and keeps on running. The ball’s worked down the left. Rodrigo has a slap from a tight angle, across Martinez, who parries well, but can only tee up Bamford, who completes his run by slamming the loose ball home from close range!
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53 min: One corner leads to another. Before that can be taken, Mings is booked for fannying about. Then from the second corner, Konsa volleys towards the top right. Another fine Meslier save denies him. The third corner comes to nought.
52 min: So would this! Grealish takes up possession on the halfway line, and drives down the left. He cuts inside, past Dallas, Ayling and Koch dancing left to right across the face of the Leeds six-yard box. All very George Best versus Sheffield United. But in finally aiming for the bottom right, he slams straight at Meslier, who saves well. Corner.
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51 min: A free kick for Villa, 35 yards out, a little to the left. Targett slips to Grealish down the left. Meslier is off his line, anticipating the cross, so Grealish tries to fire a surprise low shot into the small gap at the bottom left. The angle’s too tight, and he finds the side netting. That would have been pretty special.
49 min: Klich steals the ball off McGinn with absurd ease. He advances towards the Villa box with purpose, but then dithers a little. The ball’s switched to Rodrigo on the right, but Villa have had time to funnel back and crowd the box. Rodrigo’s shot is blocked. The ball breaks left to Alioski, who slices wildly over the bar. That move became unnecessarily complicated.
47 min: Another Leeds raid down the left. Harrison skitters along the touchline before cutting infield and fizzing a low shot towards the bottom left. Martinez smothers.
46 min: Leeds are quickly on the front foot. Alioski crosses from the left. Martinez claims well amid a crowded box.
Villa get the second half underway. No half-time changes.
The Few-Minutes-Before-Nine O’Clock News. David Conn with the exclusive.
HALF TIME: Aston Villa 0-0 Leeds United
Don’t let the scoreline fool you. This has been wonderful entertainment. We’re just missing that final touch. Somewhere in the multiverse, we’re halfway to another nine-goal bonanza at Villa Park.
45 min: There will be one added minute.
44 min: Leeds break upfield at speed once more. Harrison romps into acres down the left, then swings a low pass infield for Bamford, running into the area at full pelt. He meets the cross, but leaning back, and under pressure from Konsa, slashes wide left from ten yards. A huge chance spurned.
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43 min: VAR checks and confirms. No penalty.
42 min: From the resulting free kick, out on the right, Barkley wafts a very average ball out on the full for a goal kick. Villa come back quickly at Leeds, Grealish going over in the area with Costa at his back. Villa scream for a penalty, but they’re not getting it, and rightly so. There was no contact.
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41 min: Shackleton clatters into Watkins with a reckless high-kick. Accidental rather than malicious, which probably keeps him out of the book.
39 min: After some head tennis, Leeds clear the corner and break upfield with speed and sass. Rodrigo finds a little space 25 yards out, and sends a useless curler 25 yards wide and 25 yards over. Like I said, it’s just the final touches that have been missing so far.
38 min: Grealish jigs down the left again, slipping the ball inside for Watkins, who shoots from a tight angle. Ayling is forced to slam behind for a corner.
36 min: Harrison and Alioski have got quite the routine going on down the Leeds left. They win another corner with some crisp, clever passing. Nothing comes of the set piece. Both teams have been effervescent in the build-up; it’s just the final touch that’s been lacking.
34 min: Watkins spins into space down the left and combines with Grealish, eventually taking a wee bit too long over a shooting opportunity that presents itself just inside the Leeds box. He’s swarmed and the ball’s cleared.
32 min: From the corner, Bamford heads harmlessly high and wide. “A goal has to be coming soon,” says Mary Waltz. “You can almost feel it through the screen.”
31 min: Harrison hugs the left touchline and makes enough space to fire one low into the middle for Rodrigo. Mings reads the play well but only half clears, allowing Harrison to come again down the left and earn himself a corner.
29 min: Grealish dances down the left but his wedge into the box is easily claimed by Meslier. Then Alioski barges into the Villa box from the left but bowls Cash over illegally. It never stops.
28 min: Villa had been relatively quiet up until that move, and it seems to have woken them up a bit. They’ve moved up a gear or two, and are pressing Leeds back a little for the first time in the game. This is being played at a super-high pace, and it’s a lot of fun.
26 min: Watkins steals the ball off a snoozing Ayling, and tears into the box from the right. His low cross finds Trezeguet, who miskicks. The ball rolls on for Grealish, bombing in from the left. He creams a low shot past Meslier, but Ayling makes up for his mistake, racing back to flick off the line. Just in time. Villa inches away from opening the scoring.
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24 min: Leeds crank it up again, pinging the ball hither and yon. Harrison pulls one back for Dallas, whose shot from distance is as wide and wild as Texas.
23 min: The first lull, the game having been broken up by the substitution.
21 min: Yep, he’s hooked and replaced by Shackleton. No tantrum, he just looks resigned. A couple of rash tackles gave Bielsa little choice.
20 min: Leeds are preparing a sub. It doesn’t look as though Bielsa wants to chance Struijk, who is on a booking and in the last-chance saloon.
18 min: Grealish brings down a high ball while running at full pelt down the left, beating Dallas in one smooth motion. Koch reads the danger well and comes across to block, just as it looked as though Villa’s main man was about to burst into the box.
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17 min: Barkley bashes one goalwards from 30 yards. Meslier does well to claim a swerving ball without too much drama. This is absurdly open. Let’s not rule out another nine-goal thriller yet.
16 min: McGinn makes good down the left. His attempted cross is blocked out by Struijk for a corner. Grealish’s delivery is awful, and Leeds are suddenly breaking four on two! But they overthink it, and eventually Harrison ships possession.
14 min: Leeds are sensational when they’re on the front foot. Costa whips in from the right and finds Rodrigo, racing in towards the near post. But Rodrigo’s attempted steer goalwards is nothing more than a weak waft, and the ball flies away harmlessly.
13 min: Harrison and Alioski combine crisply down the left. Harrison pulls back for Rodrigo, who batters a first-time snapshot off Konsa and out for a corner. From the set piece, Alioski has a whack from distance. Martinez gathers.
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11 min: Struijk wants to watch himself here. He’s just left one in on Douglas Luiz. Another referee might have shown a second yellow. It’s just a free kick. One more transgression and he’ll be in all sorts of bother.
10 min: Struijk is booked for a late lunge on Grealish in the centre circle. A totally pointless challenge, with Grealish having overrun the ball.
9 min: Ayling passes long. Bamford cushions the ball down for Rodrigo, who momentarily looks in good shape to shoot. But he hesitates and the chance is gone.
7 min: Villa slow it down a bit with some boring stuff around the back. They need the breather, Leeds having come at them with extreme prejudice during these opening exchanges.
5 min: Leeds come at the hosts again, the ball ending up at the feet of Klich just inside the box. But he can’t sort his feet out and McGinn is able to block before a shot is taken. Some worrying signs early on for the only 100 percenters in the entire league.
4 min: Alioski crosses from a deep position on the left. Mings misreads, and Bamford launches himself horizontally at the dropping ball. He sends a fine diving header not too far wide of the left-hand post.
3 min: Harrison crosses from the left and nearly finds Rodrigo at the far post. Targett intercepts well. Up the other end, Trezeguet shows on the right again, his looping cross claimed by Meslier.
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2 min: Both teams look in positive mood already. McGinn tries to slip Watkins free with a cute ball down the middle. Bamford chases down a slightly weak Mings backpass. Trezeguet dribbles down the right. Costa does the same up the other end. A real open feel from the get-go.
Leeds get the ball rolling ... but only after everyone takes a knee. No room for racism. Black lives matter.
Here come the teams! Aston Villa in their Victorian claret, Leeds in blue stripes. We’ll be off in a minute or two.
Dean Smith speaks! “Our performances have been excellent, and when you’ve got that, it’s very hard to leave anybody out. The players are picking their shirts at the moment, and consistency breeds confidence. We have to have the same mentality and match their work rate; they’re one of the fittest teams in the league. But we’ll show our quality as well, what we’re about and why we’ve got the results we’ve had so far.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s turn. “We would prefer Kalvin Phillips to be here of course. He will be missed. We will try to attack in numbers, as we always do, and try to create as many chances as possible.”
Are you a child of the Seventies? The flashing blue diamonds on the BT Sport Box Office holding screen will give you one hell of a Proustian rush. Well worth £15 of anyone’s money.
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Aston Villa are very much in If It Ain’t Broke mode. Having won their first four games of the season, they stick with the XI named for the win at Leicester last Sunday.
Leeds must make do without the injured Kalvin Phillips. Pascal Struijk moves up from defence to deputise; Ezgjan Alioski comes in as the only change to the XI sent out for the defeat by Wolves on Monday evening.
The teams
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Trezeguet, Barkley, Grealish, Watkins.
Subs: Steer, Hourihane, Traore, Nakamba, Engels, Elmohamady, Davis.
Leeds United: Meslier, Dallas, Ayling, Koch, Alioski, Struijk, Helder Costa, Klich, Rodrigo, Harrison, Bamford.
Subs: Poveda, Roberts, Casilla, Raphinha, Hernandez, Davis, Shackleton.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).
Preamble
Saturday 20 August 2011. Goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and Darren Bent give Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa a tidy 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers, and after two matches they find themselves top of the Premier League table. But the very next day, Manchester City win 3-2 at Bolton Wanderers, leapfrogging to the summit, and Villa have never been back there since.
They could end that long wait this evening. A draw tonight, at home to Leeds United, would be enough to send them to toppermost for the first time in nine years. However, brimful of confidence as the only team left in the Premier League with a 100 percent record, they’ll be looking for more than that. Having started with four successive wins for the first time since 1930-31, they could go one better than Pongo Waring’s old lot and make this the grand old club’s fastest start of all time.
Leeds will fancy their chances too. Not least because their last visit to Villa Park, in December 2018, saw them come from two goals down after 17 minutes to win 3-2, Kemar Roofe claiming the last-minute decider. The last meeting between the clubs was even more memorable, Marcelo Bielsa sportingly agreeing to let Albert Adomah score uncontested after Mateusz Klich put Leeds ahead when Villa had a man down injured. The resulting 1-1 draw confirmed Sheffield United’s promotion, but let’s not get bogged down in detail.
So while Villa can go top, Leeds will rise to third if they win, for a day at least. There’s plenty on the line for both of these impressive sides, then. It should be a cracker. It shouldn’t cost £14.95 on top of your already pricy subscription. It’s on!
Kick off: 8pm.
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