Aston Villa come from behind to sink Leeds and climb to fourth

Aston Villa come from behind to sink Leeds and climb to fourth

Aston Villa overturned an early deficit at Elland Road to take three important points from Leeds United, who saw a promising afternoon unravel as Morgan Rogers produced a ruthless second-half display.

Leeds had started brightly and looked the more assertive side, yet their inability to sustain that intensity allowed Villa to recover and climb further into the Champions League places.

Leeds took the lead inside eight minutes through a scrappy but deserved opener.

Sean Longstaff’s free-kick caused confusion in the penalty area, and while Emi Martinez tried to claim the delivery, the ball broke loose and Anton Stach’s touch ricocheted off Lukas Nmecha before crossing the line.

The goal survived a lengthy VAR review and briefly settled the home crowd, who sensed that Villa were struggling to match Leeds’ physicality.

Leeds played with energy, aggression and purpose throughout the first half, repeatedly forcing Villa onto the back foot and winning most of the duels in midfield.

Their pressure created half chances for Brendan Aaronson, and for long spells Villa could not establish any rhythm in possession.

The problem for Leeds was turning that superiority into a second goal, and the failure to do so kept Villa alive in a match that should have felt more comfortable for the hosts.

Villa reached the interval without further damage, and Unai Emery responded by introducing Donyell Malen and Ian Maatsen. The impact was immediate.

Two minutes after the restart, Malen found space on the right and drilled a low cross into the area, where Rogers reacted sharply and guided a deft flick past Lucas Perri.

The equaliser shifted the momentum decisively, and Leeds, who had already begun to tire, struggled to regain control.

Rogers completed the turnaround with a superb free-kick fifteen minutes from time. The forward struck the ball with dip and precision from the edge of the area, sending it over the wall and beyond Perri to cap a commanding second-half performance.

His celebration with Villa’s set-piece coach reflected the work behind the finish, and his influence grew as Leeds chased the game with increasing desperation.

Leeds thought they had equalised almost immediately when Dan James’s delivery ended up in the net, but replays showed a handball by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. That decision typified a second half in which they struggled to create meaningful chances from open play.

A late Pascal Struijk header forced a fine save from Martinez, yet Villa saw out the final minutes with composure.

The defeat keeps Leeds in the relegation zone after a fifth loss in six matches and adds to the scrutiny on Daniel Farke as a difficult run of fixtures approaches.

Villa, meanwhile, continue their resurgence and now look firmly positioned in the battle for European qualification after another comeback built on depth, control and the decisive finishing of Rogers.

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