Report: Aston Villa 0 - 3 Leeds United

Report: Aston Villa 0 - 3 Leeds United

Bamford hat-trick fires Leeds to win.

Premier League

Aston Villa 0

Leeds United 3 (Bamford 55, 67, 74)

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Ngoyo, Mings, Targett, Luiz, Trezeguet (Traore 66), Barkley, McGinn, Grealish, Watkins.  Subs not used: Steer, Hourihane, Nakamba, Engels, El Mohamady, Davis. 

Leeds United: Meslier, Dallas, Ayling, Koch, Alioski, Struijk (Shackleton 21), Klich, Harrison, Costa (Raphinha 83), Rodrigo (Hernandez 79), Bamford.  Subs not used: Casilla, Poveda, Roberts, Davis.


Patrick Bamford scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Leeds United produced a superb performance at Villa Park, to end Aston Villa’s winning start to the season.

Head coach Marcelo Bielsa made one change from the side which lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, with Ezgjan Alioski replacing Kalvin Phillips in the side.

Leeds made a bright start to the game, following a good pass from Jack Harrison on the turn, Ezgjan Alioski delivered a dangerous cross into the Aston Villa box, which Bamford met with a diving header, but he saw his attempt go just wide by the finest of margins.

Harrison and Alioski again combined with the latter teeing up Rodrigo, but he saw his strike well blocked with Leeds winning a corner.

From the resulting set-piece, the ball came out to Alioski 25-yards from goal and he hit a powerful strike, which Emiliano Martinez saved well.

Aston Villa’s first chance came in the 17th minute, when Ross Barkley struck from distance, but his attempt was straight at Leeds United stopper Illan Meslier.

Marcelo Bielsa decided to make an early change four minutes later, following an early booking for Pascal Struijk for a foul on Villa captain Jack Grealish, he made way for Jamie Shackleton.

Villa almost went ahead when Ollie Watkins stole possession from Luke Ayling.  He cut into the Leeds box before crossing and Trezeguet sliced his shot into the path of Grealish. Villa’s captain then struck on goal, but Ayling recovered, with Meslier beaten, and the Leeds captain for the night was on hand to clear off the line, saving the goal by a matter of millimetres.

Bamford then saw a strike blocked well from close range, Rodrigo struck over after being teed up by Dallas, before Grealish saw a penalty appeal checked by VAR, to no avail.

Leeds’ best chance of the half came just before the break, Harrison broke down the left flank and put a wonderful low cross into the Villa box and Bamford struck a first time shot, but he put the chance wide, as the two teams went in all square.

Half time: Aston Villa 0-0 Leeds United

As with the first half, Leeds again came out of the blocks in the second half.  Harrison broke well down the left flank before cutting into the Villa box and forcing Martinez into a good low save.

Grealish almost gave the home side the advantage when he picked up the ball in his own half and went on a fine mazey solo run into the Leeds box and only a good stop by Meslier prevented him from scoring.

Villa continue to pile on the pressure from the resulting corners and Meslier had to be at his best to deny an Ezri Ngoyo volley.

It was Leeds who made the breakthrough, though, in the 55th minute.  Harrison continued to cause problems down the left and he played Rodrigo into the box and his shot could only be parried by Martinez into the path of Bamford, who slotted home his fourth goal of the season from close range.

After Bamford saw a penalty appeal checked and not given by VAR, he doubled Leeds’ lead in the 67th minute, superbly finding the top corner with a lovely strike from the edge of the box.

Leeds continued to press forward in search of more goals and Mateusz Klich was next to go close, seeing a half volley from 25 yards well saved by Martinez.

It was then in the 74th minute that  Bamford completed his hat-trick for the night. Rodrigo played a lovely pass out to Costa who found Jamie Shackleton in the box, before getting it back and playing it to Bamford, who made room for the shot and found the top corner making it 3-0.

Barkley then fired wide from distance in a rare chance for the hosts, whilst with six minutes remaining substitute Pablo Hernandez had a great chance to add a fourth, when he was found unmarked in the Villa box by Harrison, but he couldn’t keep his strike down.

The Whites then saw out the closing stages, to secure a third Premier League victory of the season.

Full time: Aston Villa 0-3 Leeds United


Booked: Mings, Grealish (Villa), Struijk, Alioski (Leeds)

Referee: P. Tierney

Venue: Villa Park

Attendance: Behind-closed-doors

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