Aston Villa vs Leeds United preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
Leeds United return to Premier League action as they travel to Villa Park to face Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa on Saturday.
Although Daniel Farke’s side have won just once away from home this season, the picture at the bottom of the league looks very promising.
Leeds currently sit 15th in the Premier League table and have a six-point lead over 18th-placed West Ham with 12 games to go.
Their match against Villa certainly won’t be easy, as Unai Emery continues to fight against the so-called big six at the very top of the Premier League.
MOT Leeds News highlights everything you need to know ahead of the match on 21 February.
Preview
The Whites edged past Birmingham City on penalties in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, while Villa suffered a 3-1 loss to Newcastle the day before.
In the Premier League, Leeds have been fantastic at Elland Road, winning their last match in LS11 3-1 against Nottingham Forest on 6 February.
They then went to Stamford Bridge and came from two goals down to claim a huge point against Chelsea, with Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor spearheading the comeback.
Villa beat Brighton 1-0 in their last match in B6, but they have already suffered three home defeats in 2026.
Leeds might not be well-versed on their travels, but they certainly won’t lack any belief at Villa Park.
Form guide
Aston Villa (last six games all comps): L W D L W W
Leeds (last six games all comps): W D W L D W
Head-to-head
The last meeting between both sides came on 23 November, when Morgan Rogers scored a brace as Villa won 2-1 at Elland Road.
Both teams have played out several memorable contests, and the 1-1 draw under Marcelo Bielsa in May 2019 is certainly one that lives on in the memory of Leeds fans.
The last time the Whites won against Villa in the Premier League was in October 2020, with Patrick Bamford scoring a memorable hat-trick.
Overall, Leeds have beaten the Villans 43 times, lost 32 times, and drawn 32 times.
Leeds may have the edge based on all-time history, but their recent run of six without a win against Emery’s side certainly isn’t a good sign.
- Read more: Daniel Farke to reward Lucas Perri in six changes – Leeds predicted starting XI vs Aston Villa
Team news and predicted lineups
Pascal Struijk and Anton Stach could feature in the matchday squad after spending time out with injuries, although it seems unlikely that Farke will risk starting them from the off.
Okafor and Dan James are struggling with fitness issues, which means that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will probably be joined by Nmecha up front.
As for Villa, they have midfielders Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn all out with long-term injuries.
Emery could also be without right-back Matty Cash and left-back Andres Garcia, while Marco Bizot is suspended.
Aston Villa predicted XI: Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Luiz; Sancho, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins
Leeds predicted XI: Perri; Justin, Bijol, Rodon; Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev, Aaronson, Gudmundsson; Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Leeds
It’s an incredibly tough contest to call, although it would be foolish to immediately dismiss Leeds.
Their away form is certainly concerning, and they need to start registering wins on their travels if they want to comfortably avoid relegation.
However, with Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha in fine form, they always have a chance of grabbing a result against the odds.
According to Sofascore, Calvert-Lewin has won an average of five duels per Premier League match this season, which shows how much of an impact he has had in LS11.
| Nmecha | Stat | Calvert-Lewin |
| 20 | Appearances | 23 |
| 6 | Goals | 10 |
| 1 | Assists | 1 |
| 20 | Shots | 46 |
| 5.70 | Expected goals | 9.26 |
Villa’s poor form at home in 2026 has seen them lose to Brentford and Everton, which gives the Whites some hope.
A win for the Villans seems like the most likely outcome, but Leeds’ draws away to Chelsea and Liverpool show that they could certainly snatch a valuable point.
For more news on Leeds United, head to Football Insider for the latest on fresh updates and expert reaction.