The Premier League resumes this weekend with another round of fixtures, as Leeds United lock horns with Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday.
Leeds United are currently in 11th place in the standings, winless in their last three fixtures. They were humbled 5-2 by Brentford before the international break and will need to bounce back to winning ways this weekend.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, are 15th in the table having endured a wobbly start to the season. The Villans edged Southampton to a vital 1-0 victory before the September hiatus and will look to make it two wins on the bounce when they travel to Leeds.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the key battles that could define the outcome of this game.
#Brenden Aaronson vs Leander Dendoncker
Brenden Aaronson has been a breath of fresh air for Leeds United, adding creativity, energy and flair to their attack. With a goal and an assist in six games, he has settled in quickly at the club and become crucial to Jesse Marsch’s system. The American is a certainty to start in his favoured No.10 role against Aston Villa.
Leander Dendoncker could be the man Steven Gerrard picks to keep a close watch on Brenden Aaronson at Elland Road. A knee ligament injury to Boubacar Kamara is a big blow for Aston Villa but in Dendoncker, they have a player with a similar skill-set who can be useful in and out of possession.
Villa’s chances of getting a positive result in West Yorkshire will largely depend on how well Dendoncker deals with Aaronson at the weekend.
#Ollie Watkins vs Diego Llorente & Robin Koch
Ollie Watkins’ form has been patchy, but he is the main man for Villa up front. With a goal and two assists in seven games, he is quite rightly expected to lead the Villa attack again.
Leeds United’s centre-back pairing of Diego Llorente and Robin Koch will have their hands full dealing with Watkins, considering the pressing, energy and physicality the forward brings to the side.
Watkins has shown he is more than capable of dealing with defenders trying to get physical with him, so it will be intriguing to watch what plan Llorente and Koch have up their sleeves to stop him.
#Philippe Coutinho vs Tyler Adams
If Philippe Coutinho plays well, then so do Aston Villa. The Brazilian playmaker is massively important to Steven Gerrard’s side.
Coutinho is at his most effective when he plays centrally behind the main striker as it allows him to get more on the ball and influence the play in the final third. That’s where Tyler Adams’ job for Leeds will be vital.
Expected to start in a double pivot with Marc Roca, Adams will be partly responsible for restricting Coutinho’s impact on the proceedings at Elland Road. A well-marshalled Coutinho would blunt Villa’s attacking impetus, so one can expect Marsch to hand Adams the job of man-marking the Brazilian.