Aston Villa 1-1 Leeds United: Thank you Marcelo Bielsa

Aston Villa and Leeds United played a game of football today…..and oh boy it was something.

Lineups & First-Half:

Dean Smith called upon his usual system for an away game at Elland Road. The Villa manager made three changes as Axel Tuanzebe returned at right centre-back, while Conor Hourihane and André Green replaced Glenn Whelan and Albert Adomah.

Leeds were without forward Kemar Roofe, winger Ezgjan Alioski and left-back Barry Douglas.

Villa started well with two clear-cut chances in the opening five minutes. Green was served a delightful ball from the left-wing via Anwar El Ghazi but he headed it just over. Soon after, Jonathan Kodjia pushed a headed ball just wide of Kiko Casilla’s net. Thereafter, opportunities died down as both sides saw scarce scoring opportunities. That’s a credit to the two club’s centre-back partnerships. Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson were named into the PFA’s Team of the Year, while Tuanzebe and Tyrone Mings might be the most naturally talented pairing in the league.

Second-Half:

The two sides went into the break scoreless, but the home side emerged on top after. Leeds controlled possession in their attacking third for the opening ten minutes of the half. Villa, through the aforementioned Mings, Tuanzebe, Neil Taylor, Ahmed Elmohamady and Jed Steer were able to counter-punch, however.

Then the unfortunate happened around the 72nd-minute. Leeds scored a highly controversial goal courtesy of Mateusz Klich and Tyler Roberts, which you can read about below.

The goal never should have happened as every party on the pitch was in the wrong. The referee missed a foul call. Whatever, it happens, but he then didn’t blow it again as Kodjia laid on the ground. Roberts, as young and inexperienced as he is, then signaled to the trailing Villa midfielder he would kick the ball out-of-play – twice.

Instead of doing so, however, he proceeded to play an offside Klich (poor job, assistant referee) and he went on to score instead of stopping. He recognized his error and apologized to Dean Smith after the match. Everyone on the pitch for Villa froze for a second or more, assuming a whistle would come. In hindsight, a mistake, but one that is buried in extenuating circumstances.

Villa forewent an attacking opportunity near the Leeds corner flag so that a player could receive treatment minutes earlier.

Leeds’ boss Marcelo Bielsa made the sporting gesture to allow Villa through and score an equalizer to make it 1-1. He persisted in his decision even as a some of his players – namely Jansson – dissented.

For that we thank Bielsa for righting a wrong in what should have been an indifferent match. Neither side had anything to play for with play-off spots pretty much secured at third and fifth, respectively. The game ended with the same 1-all scoreline as Villa defended 20+ minutes with ten men.