Leeds United v Aston Villa at Elland Road - Prediction

Leeds United are hosting Villa at Elland Road this afternoon.

As a newly promoted side back in the top flight, Leeds have shown flashes of their attacking promise under Daniel Farke, but they're in a rough patch—sitting 18th in the table with a terrible goal difference of -10 after 11 games, and they've lost four of their last five matches, including a 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest before the international break. Their defence has been leaky, conceding 11 goals in those last five outings, though they've still only lost once at home this season (to Spurs).

Aston Villa, on the other hand, are riding a wave of form after a shaky start—they've won eight of their last 10 matches across all competitions, including a dominant 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth in their final pre-break game. Unai Emery's side is 9th in the league, unbeaten in 17 Premier League games against newly promoted teams (winning 13), and they've got firepower up top with players like Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia in sync. Away form is a slight concern—they've only won once on the road this season—but their recent momentum and historical edge over Leeds (unbeaten in the last five league meetings) make them the clear favourites here.

My prediction: Aston Villa to win 2-1. Leeds will scrap for a goal at home and make it competitive early, but Villa's quality and current streak should see them pull away late. Both teams to score feels likely given the trends, but Emery's tactical nous tips the scales.