I've not posted in a while and I'm not sorry, because I don't have time to be. I was very happy with the performance the other day and the team looked much better, but as I think I wrote in my last post, it's about consistency and if we are to start seeing that, we need to see something tonight.
And tonight could be tough. Leeds are a decent side and the've got a new manager. We all know what it's like to have a new manager, so anything is possible.
But the foundation of what we want to be should be based on going to hard places at strange times and taking advantage. We need to do that tonight and we have to approach this game in the right way if we're going to achieve that.
And by that waffle, I mean we have to go there wanting to win and play the way we did the other day for 95 minutes. It seems like I've written that last part many many times before.
And that is probably because it isn't rocket science. What is, is having to cook for two kids when you're a little tipsy. So I'm going to do that before this gets out of hand. Back later for the match.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Aston Villa have won only three of their past 16 league games against Leeds, squandering a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 in this season's reverse fixture on 9 February.
Leeds United
- Leeds can equal the club record of six successive league defeats, which happened most recently in February 2004.
- They could also match the club Premier League record of four consecutive games without a goal, set from December 1994 to January 1995.
- The Whites have conceded 41 goals in their past 13 league fixtures, failing to keep a clean sheet during that period.
- The only manager to lose both of his first two Premier League matches in charge of Leeds was George Graham in 1996.
- Patrick Bamford is one short of 100 career league goals. He has had only 22 minutes of Premier League playing time since mid-September because of injury.
Aston Villa
- Villa have won successive games but their only longer Premier League winning streak since the beginning of the 2010-11 season was a run of four from September to October 2020.
- They are vying to earn consecutive away league victories for the first time since December 2020.
- Philippe Coutinho has been directly involved in six goals in four home appearances for Villa, but he has failed to score or assist in any of his three away games.
- Ollie Watkins has not scored in any of his nine league matches versus Leeds.
- Steven Gerrard played for LA Galaxy in a 2-2 home draw versus a New York Red Bulls team managed by Jesse Marsch in August 2016.