Leeds keen to end streak of successive defeats as Villa clash looms.
Leeds United vs Aston Villa kicks off at 14:00 [GMT] on Sunday, November 23, at Elland Road.
Leeds United welcome Aston Villa to Elland Road in a Premier League clash shaped heavily by recent history and contrasting performances. Leeds will enter this fixture looking to break a frustrating run against Villa, having gone five Premier League meetings without a win since their 3-0 triumph at Villa Park back in October 2020. The challenge becomes even steeper considering Villa’s impressive record in West Yorkshire; the visitors have lost just once in their last eleven league trips to Leeds, a run stretching back to 2003. Leeds’ biggest obstacle in this matchup has been their lack of goals at home against Villa. They have failed to score in each of their last three Elland Road encounters with the Midlands side, and they have never gone four consecutive home games without finding the net against any opponent. On a wider scale, goalscoring has been a broader issue for Leeds. Their chance conversion rate is among the lowest in the league, with just 22.7% of big chances tucked away. Only Wolves sit below them for overall shot conversion. Despite this, Leeds have developed a habit of starting games quickly: an impressive 80% of their goals this season have come in the first half, and their last three strikes arrived within the opening 15 minutes. However, Leeds haven’t beaten a top-half side in 17 attempts since defeating Liverpool in October 2022. Nevertheless, putting an end to back-to-back defeats [LLWLL] remains the objective for the newly promoted side. A 4—3—3 formation with Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Aaronson in attack is expected.
For Villa, in 6th place, this represents an opportunity to extend an already notable defensive streak. Unai Emery’s side have been exceptionally strong against newly promoted teams. They remain unbeaten in all 17 Premier League matches against such opposition under his management, collecting thirteen wins in the process. Villa’s attacking profile this season has also been distinctive—they have scored more goals from outside the box than any other team, already matching last season’s total with seven long-range strikes. Their big chance conversion rate is low at just 20%, but their ability to score from a distance has helped offset those missed opportunities. Villa will be hoping to find the back of the net once again from range when they make Sunday's trip to Leeds. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Ollie Watkins in attack is expected here. Villa will be without the injured Amadou Onana.