Morgan Rogers’ astonishing free kick completed a brace and put the finishing touches on Aston Villa’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday.
WATCH — Leeds vs Aston Villa full match replay
Lukas Nmecha staked the hosts to an early lead thanks to an error from Emiliano Martinez, but Villa emerged from halftime as a new team.
The win sends the red-hot Villans into fourth place with 21 points and leaves Leeds in the bottom three with 11 points, behind 17th-place West Ham on goal differential.
Aston Villa authoring their own success, again
The Villans want to win every game, like every team, but there’s something a bit more comfortable about knowing you’re “there or thereabouts” when it comes to your season goals. Unai Emery’s men, of course, would love a Premier League title run but their seasons at the moment seem to be chasing trophies, growing in Europe, and making sure they return to the continent next season. The Premier League table is muddled but as long as Villa are in contention for Europe, there feels a lot less pressure as odd as that may sound to the unconditioned ear. Morgan Rogers has found his form and Ollie Watkins is still cold but is showing more signs of life. Given the congestion of the table, there’s no reason to doubt that Villa again has the opportunity to reach the Champions League. And now they can look at the table and feel back in control of that fate.
What’s next?
Aston Villa host Young Boys early Thursday in the Europa League, then welcome Wolves to Villa Park on Sunday.
It’s not getting any easier for Leeds, who go to Man City at 10am ET Saturday.
How to watch Leeds vs Aston Villa live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 9 am ET, Sunday
Venue: Elland Road — Leeds
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Leeds vs Aston Villa final score: 1-2
Lukas Nmecha 9', Morgan Rogers 48', 76'
Leeds vs Aston Villa live updates — by Nick Mendola
Leeds goal under review
Daniel James with a razor-thin onside run and he turns the corner to shoot.
Martinez gets a hand on it and the ball continues into the six where it goes off Dominic Calvert-Lewin and into the goal.
Calvert-Lewin claims it was a pelvic-thrust that pushed the ball over the line but it caught his hand and will not stand.
Morgan Rogers free kick goal — Leeds 1-2 Aston Villa
Oh this is sensational technique.
Villa have a free kick on the right, a few yards outside the 18.
Rogers spins a tumbling ball just over the top of the leaping wall and Perri can’t change direction fast enough to get to it.
Just perfect, and he celebrates with set piece coach Austin MacPhee. That’ll grow the Scottish play designer’s legend.
Morgan Rogers goal — Leeds 1-1 Aston Villa
Emery strikes again, and his plan works out minutes after halftime.
Villa go down Leeds’ left side off the opening kickoff and it becomes clear within a minute that it isn’t a coincidence — they see weakness there.
Matty Cash gets to the right end line and smashes a cross toward goal that Morgan Rogers redirects inside the far post.
Good stuff from Villa and now Leeds have to keep their composure.
Halftime — Leeds United 1-0 Aston Villa
Villa used a late bit of control to edge possession and shot attempts at 55% and 6-5, but that doesn’t take away from Daniel Farke’s impressive plan and Leeds’ execution of it.
They’ve put three of their five shots on target and seized their chance with desperation, and Martinez’s error feels like it fits the plot line.
Ollie Watkins just wide
Villa nearly make it level in stoppage time as a blocked shot sees the ball recycled into the path of Ollie Watkins
The forward is quick to snap into a 19-yard shot only to see it curl wide of the far post.
Off script
It’s pretty clear that Unai Emery had hoped for control, a goal, and then a cagey possession drills against the hosts.
Nmecha’s goal changed that, and Leeds are playing with freedom.
Lukas Nmecha goal! Leeds 1-0 Aston Villa
There’s a lot going on here, so let’s see if it stands as Emiliano Martinez collides with the assister Anton Stach.
Looks like a poor play by the keeper, but let’s get a few more looks.
Sean Longstaff’s free kick reaches the back post and is popped into the air by a sliding Leeds player.
That sends the ball almost pop-fly height, and Martinez’s effort to catch it is entitled at best.
Stach rises over the keeper’s hands and knocks it down, with Nmecha jabbing it over the line.
Aaronson wins free kick
Pretty bright first seven minutes or so for Leeds, and Brenden Aaronson wins a free kick a few yards outside the 18.
It’s well to the right and almost certainly not a shooting situation.
Leeds lineup
Perri, Bogle, Gundmundsson, Rodon, Struijk, Ampadu, Longstaff, Stach, Aaronson, Okafor, Nmecha
Aston Villa lineup
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins
Leeds vs Aston Villa preview — by Andy Edwards
Leeds and Aston Villa are trending like two ships passing in the night of late, as the two sides prepare to face off on Sunday (9 am ET) when the Premier League returns from the final international break of 2025.
Villa have won five of their last six PL games (losing only to defending champions Liverpool) after winning none of their first five. Unai Emery’s side didn’t score a goal until the 427th minute of their season, but Donyell Malen and Emi Buendia (3 each) have carried them in recent weeks as Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers (1 each) get up to speed. As a result, Villa have climbed 12 places since their winless start, up to 6th place, now just two points behind Chelsea for 3rd.
Leeds, meanwhile, picked up eight points from their first six games and looked well on their way to avoiding relegation in their first season back in the top flight. However, three points from their last five games (with 11 goals conceded) paints a much bleaker picture for Daniel Farke’s side as the busy winter period fast approaches. Only last-place Wolves (7) have scored fewer goals than Leeds (10), and only Burnley (14) have conceded more than Leeds (13) over their six games.
Leeds team news, focus
QUESTIONABLE: Wilfried Gnonto (groin), Sebastiaan Bornauw (knee)
Aston Villa team news, focus
OUT: Tyrone Mings (hamstring), Andres Garcia (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Ezri Konsa (calf), Amadou Onana (muscular), Lamare Bogarde (knock), Matty Cash (muscular)
Leeds vs Aston Villa prediction
Unai Emery wants nothing more than a clean sheet, and to punish his opponents on the counter-attack. Mission accomplished. Leeds 0-2 Aston Villa.
