Luke Ayling on satisfaction after Philippe Coutinho battle and Leeds United swing at Aston Villa - YEP 10/2/22

Facing Philippe Coutinho is not exactly what Luke Ayling had been used to.

By Lee Sobot

Nor, initially, was it the defender's idea of fun.

Yet in the end, Leeds United's stand-in captain gave the thumbs up to his latest demanding assignment - and ultimately wouldn't have it any other way.

For Ayling, Wednesday night's Premier League clash at Aston Villa was another strong reminder of the dramatically changed landscape in the 30-year-old's career.

Back in February 2015, the defender was stepping out in League One against the likes of Colchester United, Rochdale and Port Vale.

Seven years on, the right back was captaining Leeds United in the Premier League facing Aston Villa's Barcelona loanee and Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho.

For Leeds and Ayling, it all began rather well, Dan James firing Marcelo Bielsa's side into a ninth-minute lead.

Thirty-four minutes later, the picture looked rather different, Coutinho turning on the style and drawing Villa level before twice setting up Jacob Ramsey to put Steven Gerrard' s hosts 3-1 up.

Ayling, though, and Leeds as a whole, stuck to their task, so much so that by ten o'clock on Wednesday evening the Whites were leaving with a point.

Coutinho had even been taken off with 12 minutes left, boss Steven Gerrard revealing that 78 minutes
of action against Bielsa's side had taken its toll on the January recruit who is not yet at his peak physical condition.

Even so, Ayling found himself facing a player at the peak of the attacking game.

But that, says Ayling, is all part of the learning curve, the Whites vice-skipper relishing the continuing demands of facing the game's best, just seven years after playing in League One.

Speaking post match on BT Sport and asked if it was fun facing Coutinho in the first half was fun, Ayling admitted: "No. It wasn't fun.

"I have worked hard to get here so it's always good when you come up against players like that.

"It's a great learning curve for me.

"It's tough when we play how we played, we are very man for man and to be left in there alone is tough at times but I have done it before and I stuck to my task and I thought I have done all right as the game went on."

Coutinho ultimately ended the night with two assists and a goal but by 78 minutes his night was done.

"It was just a bit of tiredness," said Villa boss Gerrard, as quoted by Birmingham Live.

"He had a bit of cramp in a few areas. We're still working on his physical condition. We're still trying to improve that. He's getting better and better, and stronger.

"That was just precaution with cramp. He was running out of energy. He gave a lot to the game like a lot of the players did."

Facing Leeds, they had to, and Ayling was left saluting a good point against an improving side under Gerrard and hailing United's spirit in fighting back from 3-1 down.

United hit back from Ramsey's second strike as James doubled his tally in first-half stoppage time and Diego Llorente's strike from a 63rd-minute corner ensured an enthralling contest ended all square.

Ayling felt James' strike proved a game-changer and reasoned: "We started the game quite well and then we conceded three sloppy goals where we were just way too open and then we showed some great character to come back into it and I think that shows what spirit we have got in the dressing room.

"It's been a tough season so far so it was great spirit to come back into it and get a good point really because they have signed some good players and they are going to be a good team and it' a good point in the end.

"That goal right before half-time changes the game.

"I think if we go in at 3-1 it is a bit of a hard task to get back into it in the second half but we always try to win games and we carry on playing how we have been playing.

"I thought we earned the point in the end.

"I felt like we played well in the second half and really played in their half a lot more and stopped the counter attacks and probably a point is a good result."

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