Player Ratings: Leeds United 0-0 Aston Villa - Villa rue missed chances at fiery Elland Road

Emiliano Martínez: 6/10

A relatively comfortable day for Emiliano Martínez in goal, who had very little to do in this game thanks to the hard work of the defence in front of him. Leeds’ closest attempt saw Rodrigo fire a strike just past the post. A chance late on saw Villa’s number one easily save a Patrick Bamford effort, before Ezri Konsa dealt with the second ball. The Argentine will be delighted with back to back clean sheets.

Ashley Young: 6/10

Mr. Reliable, Ashley Young, was fantastic once again for his side in this fixture. The 37 year-old showed no signs of aging with a physical and relentless performance on either side of the Aston Villa defence. Steven Gerrard’s decision to renew Young’s contract in the summer is proving fruitful, after another vintage showing, this time against an inform Luis Sinisterra.

Ezri Konsa: 7/10

Ezri Konsa put in arguably his best performance of the season against Leeds United, and showed just why Villa fans regard him so highly. Alongside Tyrone Mings, we saw glimpses of that tremendous defensive showing during the 2020/21 campaign. The 24 year-old was also just as effective in a ‘not so ideal’ position on the right, following the defensive rearrangement on the back of Augustinsson’s injury.

Tyrone Mings: 6/10

It was another fine display from the former Aston Villa captain, who looks to have hit form at the right time. The number five is giving England manager Gareth Southgate a real headache just before the beginning of the World Cup. Mings showed solidarity up against both Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford, and was a significant reason as to why the side kept a consecutive clean sheet.

Ludwig Augustinsson: 6/10

It was beginning to look like an impressive day for Ludwig Augustinsson who was making his Aston Villa debut. That was before the Swedish full-back was sadly taken off just before half-time with what appears to be a hamstring injury. Regardless, the number 17 defended well against the threat of Jack Harrison, and also progressed play well down the left.

Douglas Luiz: 6/10

Douglas Luiz found himself in the ‘6’ once again following Boubacar Kamara’s knee injury. The Brazilian had a decent game and showed exactly why he is such an integral piece of the jigsaw at the club. His adaptability in midfield and ability in and out of possession has shaped the 24 year-old into a fine player over the years.

John McGinn: 5/10

Another sub-par performance from the Aston Villa captain, who once again looked like a passenger in the heart of the side. As always, there were moments of real quality, but these were often limited and subsided by pieces of untidy play and mistakes.

Jacob Ramsey: 6/10

Villa’s star-boy put in a spirited display away from home, showing energy and quality throughout his 83 minute showing. The England U21 midfielder broke up play well, but also showed an ability to drive at the other team, emphasising the number 41’s expansiveness and dynamism.

Philippe Coutinho: 7/10

Philippe Coutinho was a delight to watch at times against The Whites. The former Barcelona and Liverpool man made it difficult for his midfield opposition throughout, and was unlucky not to open the scoring after hitting the post from a well-executed acrobatic effort. The attacking midfielder has performed well in back-to-back games now, as he sets his sights on making it back into the star-studded Brazil squad ahead of the World Cup.

Leon Bailey: 5/10

A reasonably underwhelming performance from the Jamaican winger. At times, the number 31 was tricky in possession and caused problems for Leeds’ Pascal Struijk at left-back, but there was a distinct lack of an end product and venom in the forward’s game.

Ollie Watkins: 4/10

A truly dismal day for Ollie Watkins in front of goal. His tireless work on and off the ball was as magnificent as ever, but the number 11 struggled when it came to finding the net. The 26 year-old had six shots on target and built up an xG of 1.06 over 90 minutes, but simply could not convert. The striker will look to improve ahead of winter as stakes a claim at a spot in the England squad for this year’s Qatar World Cup.

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SUBSTITUTES:

Jan Bednarek (45 mins): 6/10

Making his first appearance in an Aston Villa shirt, Jed Bednarek settled nicely into the back four. The Pole replaced Augustinsson on the brink of half-time and looked calm and collected alongside Tyrone Mings; shutting out any immediate danger and dealing with the Leeds press well throughout the second-half.

Emiliano Buendía (64 mins): 7/10

The little Argentine was the brightest spark on the pitch when he entered play just after the hour mark. Buendía replaced Leon Bailey, and showed a real desire to get on the ball and create. Villa’s number ten was unlucky not to fire home the winner after placing a shot just wide of the goal in the dying embers.

Danny Ings (83 mins): N/A

Villa’s number nine had a quiet ten minute cameo in West-Yorkshire. You feel if the former Southampton man had the chances that his strike partner Ollie Watkins had throughout the game, he would have put one or two away. Ings will now be pushing for a start against Nottingham Forest next week.

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MAN OF THE MATCH: Ezri Konsa

With defensive numbers low, Ezri Konsa was pushed out to full-back for 45 minutes. Aston Villa’s number four adapted well to the role and done exactly what was asked of him down the right. It was an unfavourable demand in an incredibly tough and feisty environment, but Konsa dealt with the situation tremendously.

The 24 year-old also saved his side inside the final ten minutes. Striker Patrick Bamford raced through the back-line, his shot was saved from a tight angle, but with the ball falling nicely for American play-maker Brenden Aaronson, Ezri Konsa put in a superb challenge to keep his side from conceding. It was a truly colossal display from the former Brentford defender in West Yorkshire.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images