Leeds United pre-game slip warning, Martinez Kop jokes, pitch invader and off-camera Aston Villa moments — YEP 24/11/25
By Graham Smyth
The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Leeds United’s
2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa.
Leeds United have lost three on the bounce and five out of
six to find themselves in the Premier League drop zone.
A 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa did not see a
performance as bad as the ones that preceded it at Brighton and Forest but the
result was the same.
Here's the YEP take.
Good day
John McGinn
The Scot took a load of stick from Elland Road and some of
it was warranted for the way in which he tried to annoy the hosts and officiate
the match, but he had the last laugh with a part in the first goal and the
three points.
Unai Emery
He might have looked like a man on the verge of losing his
mind in the first half but his half-time substitutions worked a treat and he
left Elland Road with a victory.
Bad day
Daniel Farke
The performance was what he wanted it to be, apart from the
defensive lapses and the inability to turn pressure into goals. He at least got
fight and spirit from his players. But the result was not what he wanted or
needed and the Elland Road reaction held worrying notes for the German.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Every striker wants to play but if they can't start then
coming off the bench is the next best thing. They all want to score. None of
them want to deprive their team of a vital goal by being in the wrong place
with their hand. It was desperately unlucky for Leeds. The striker couldn't
make any other kind of impact, either, in his cameo.
Off-camera
Ao Tanaka catching a stray ball in the face during the
substitutes' rondo, much to his team-mates' delight. The Japan international
was still feeling it minutes later.
Both Tanaka and an Aston Villa coaching staff member
showcasing how slippy the surface was with sliding tumbles. It would cost Leeds
later when Gabriel Gudmundsson slipped ahead of Villa winning a free-kick and
Morgan Rogers scoring it.
Unai Emery losing his mind on the touchline as decisions
went against his side. When Jayden Bogle went to ground and won a free-kick the
Villa boss gestured repeatedly that it was a dive.
John McGinn and Ethan Ampadu discussing the merits of the
first half officiating as they came off at the break.
Emi Martinez having a laugh and a joke with the Kop as he
came out for the second half, earning a smattering of applause and some
laughter with his antics.
A Leeds fan wandering through the Villa technical area as
the second half went on and making it to within a few yards of the dugout
before being bundled away. This occurred seconds after chants from the South
Stand for Farke to make changes.
Daniel Farke stopping Ao Tanaka as he went back to the
dugout after being subbed, to offer some words to the Japan international.
Longstaff screaming at Gudmundsson after the pair failed to
nick the ball in the very final seconds.
