Aston Villa picked up a point on Wednesday night after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Leeds Utd at Villa Park.
A brace from Dan James and a goal from Diego Lllorente earned the visitors a share of the spoils, with Philippe Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey scoring in between in an enthralling encounter between the two sides.
READ MORE: Aston Villa 3-3 Leeds Utd: Match report, highlights as Ramsey, Coutinho shine
Villa will feel disappointed not to have held on for all three points having led 3-1 in the closing stages of the first half, and while our attacking play was impressive in that spell just before half-time, our defending was disappointing throughout and ultimately that was what cost us an important win in midweek.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Leeds Utd:
Emiliano Martinez, 6.5 – Little he could have done for the goals as he was beaten by a fine finish from James for the first, and left exposed for the other two. Didn’t have a huge amount to do aside from that, but was alert off his line to sweep up danger when needed.
Matty Cash, 7 – A solid performance from Cash as he defended well for the most part while also providing an assist for Coutinho’s goal. Still needs to kick on to that next level, but a good shift.
Ezri Konsa, 5 – Struggled along with most of the backline with the movement from Leeds up front, and made things worse by picking up a late red card which means he’ll now miss the Newcastle game on Sunday. Not one of his best performances.
Tyrone Mings, 3 – Always willing to put himself on the line to clear danger, and literally did just that with a goal-line clearance at one stage, but missed a big chance as he headed wide in the first half and then was at fault leading up to all three goals conceded through his inability to efficiently clear danger.
Lucas Digne, 7 – Another all-action display as he defended well when put under pressure with a dogged effort, and he continued to be aggressive and positive with his runs forward to provide width and a threat down the left flank.
John McGinn, 6.5 – A tireless effort as always from the Scot as he covered plenty of ground and tried to make us tick in midfield. Struggled to really control things in that department though, and he wasn’t particularly accurate with his passing either as he gave away possession on a few occasions.
Douglas Luiz, 5.5 – This is a really contentious and important talking point. While some will commend him for his ability to read danger at times and cut it out, his defensive positioning in general, his inability to break things up by being physically imposing and generally providing protection for the backline are serious issues. Villa need a natural defensive midfielder to add a balance to the side, as Luiz is not the answer in that specific role.
Jacob Ramsey, 8.5 – What a night for the youngster as he continues to find the back of the net and have a decisive impact on games. Last month, Ramsey noted that he needed to pick his numbers up to be considered a top player, and he’s doing just that by showing great determination, desire and composure to get goals and propel himself into a bigger role for Villa.
Philippe Coutinho, 9 – A magical performance from the Brazilian playmaker, as he not only showed his class with a fine finish to bring us level at 1-1, he then provided two world-class assists for Ramsey to pull the strings and lead our charge. These are really positive signs that he’s getting back to his best form and feeling confident as he showed off his technical quality and skills too, and that will be music to the ears of Gerrard.
Ollie Watkins, 6 – Worked hard for the team and made important runs off the ball to open up space for his teammates, although he’s lacking something at the moment in his overall display. Doesn’t seem to be playing with the same level of tenacity as we’re used to, while he’s obviously missing that goal too as he came close again in this one but not close enough.
Emiliano Buendia, 6 – A battling performance as he got around and put pressure on Leeds in possession, and while he wasn’t always accurate, he showed good intent and creativity with his play on the ball before being forced off having picked up a knock.
Substitutions:
Carney Chukwuemeka, 5 – Did OK after coming on without really changing the game, and was fortunate that his misplaced pass just outside our box didn’t end up in a Leeds goal.
Ashley Young, N/A
Calum Chambers, N/A