Aston Villa welcome Leeds United to Villa Park this afternoon, looking to solidify their pursuit of Champions League football and move within five points of the Premier League summit.
Unai Emery’s side currently sit third in the table with 50 points from 26 matches, matching one of the club’s strongest historical starts to a Premier League campaign. While the Villans recently suffered a disappointing 1–3 FA Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle United, their league form remains their priority.
Conversely, Leeds United arrive in the Midlands buoyed by an FA Cup penalty shootout victory over Birmingham City and a gritty 2–2 comeback draw at Chelsea in their last top-flight outing. Daniel Farke has guided the Whites into 15th place, establishing a six-point cushion over the relegation zone during a run that has seen them lose just twice since the start of December.
Aston Villa vs Leeds United – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 21 February 2026
- Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Referee: Michael Oliver
- VAR: Tony Harrington
- Last Meeting: Leeds 1–2 Aston Villa (23 Nov 2025), Premier League
Team News
Aston Villa
Unai Emery confirmed that Matty Cash is in contention to return after missing the last two matches with a minor knee injury. However, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, and Youri Tielemans remain sidelined with knee and ankle injuries. Marco Bizot is suspended following his red card in the FA Cup, meaning Emiliano Martínez will start in goal. Morgan Rogers will be the focal point of the attack; he leads the squad in chances created (33), assists (5), and joint-most goals (8).
Leeds United
Daniel Farke will be without Noah Okafor, who is sidelined for up to four weeks with a hamstring strain sustained in the last cup game. However, the Whites are boosted by the return of Pascal Struijk, Anton Stach, and Daniel James, all of whom are fit and available for selection. Lukas Nmecha enters the game in fine form, averaging a goal every 115 minutes this season—the best ratio in Leeds’ Premier League history. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is expected to lead the line.
Form
Aston Villa
The Villans have been formidable at home, winning eight of their last 10 matches at Villa Park. Notably, Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games against Leeds (W4 D2). Under Unai Emery, they have never lost a Premier League match against a promoted side, securing 14 wins and four draws in 18 such games. Defensive stability has been a hallmark of late, with only seven goals scored in Villa’s last six league matches, an average of just 1.2 per game.
Leeds United
Leeds have proven to be a dangerous threat from set-pieces recently. Notably, they rank first in the division for long throws into the box (62) and expected goals (3.03 xG) from shots following long throws since December. Captain Ethan Ampadu has been key to this strategy, making more long throws into the penalty area (55) than any other player in that period. While they have won only one of their last 18 away matches, five of their last six on the road have ended in draws.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Onana, Luiz; Sancho, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins
Leeds United: Darlow; Justin, Rodon, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev, Gudmundsson; Gnonto, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin
How to Watch Aston Villa vs Leeds United?
Due to the traditional 3 p.m. blackout, the match will not be broadcast live on television in the United Kingdom.
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