Leeds United fans will still be buzzing after what happened over the weekend. The Whites took another huge step towards safety after their visit to Villa Park.
Before the match, the team knew they would be heading into a very difficult place to win – Villa had won the third most points at home in the league this season. Manchester City and Arsenal were the only teams with better records. Leeds on the other hand, had won one game on the road all season, which came against bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But on Saturday afternoon, the visitors surprised the home side with their start to the game. Leeds managed to press Aston Villa while maintain their solid shape; Daniel Farke’s men did not let the home side play freely, jumping onto every loose ball and bad pass. Villa struggled throughout the first half and found it difficult to create chances for most of the game.
Daniel Farke made a huge gamble against Aston Villa
Leeds United took the lead near the end of the season half, with Anton Stach scoring a direct free kick from miles out. The German caught out Villa keeper Emi Martinez, who looked to be expecting a cross from that range. The Whites held on to that goal for a large part of the game, before Aston Villa eventually got their equalizer in the 88th minute.
| Competition | Opponent | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| PL | Arsenal | Started |
| PL | Nottingham Forest | Injured |
| PL | Chelsea | Injured |
| FA Cup | Birmingham City | Injured |
| PL | Aston Villa | Started |
Updated: February 23, 2026 | PL = Premier League
Stach was not expected to come back straight into the lineup, but Daniel Farke made a big gamble to start the German – he had not played the last three games. But ultimately, the Leeds boss made the right call on the day. Stach was his normal self, winning balls and driving the team forward all game. One could say that if he did not play, the result could have been in doubt.
| Statistic | |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 83 |
| Goals scored | 1 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Ball recoveries | 6 |
Updated: February 23, 2026 | Premier League Match
Leeds United boss has been spot on with team selection recently
For Daniel Farke, this season has been a very mixed one – his start to the campaign was decent, but the team fell off in the middle of the fixtures. But since the end of last year, Leeds have turned things around and the German deserves the credit. Fans did not like how he selected the team and set them up in the first few months of the season.
But now, Farke is getting praise week after week for making the right decisions on the pitch. He has done a fantastic job this year, and could top it with sealing another Premier League season with 11 games to go.
