Leeds United put themselves another point clear of the relegation zone on Saturday afternoon, after a 1-1 draw away to Aston Villa.
It might feel like two points were dropped by the West Yorkshire outfit, who were leading until the death, but they will simply have to settle for a single point.
Villa dominated the ball, having 67% possession, as you might expect at home against a side battling relegation. However, they struggled to make much use of that, with Leeds defending admirably well in their rigid 5-4-1 defensive structure.
It was a fantastic strike from Anton Stach, which put Leeds ahead at half-time. The German midfielder bagged his third free-kick of the season, with this one arguably his best yet, beating Emiliano Martínez from 35 yards out.
However, the home side did break the Whites’ hearts right at the end of the game. Daniel Farke's side held out for 88 minutes, but a strike from Tammy Abraham, which came from a corner, was enough to earn the Midlands giants a point.
It was a tough result for Leeds, who might have felt they deserved more from the game. Indeed, there were a couple of players who did struggle against Unai Emery's men.
Leeds' biggest underperformers vs Aston Villa
It was certainly not a forgiving day to be an attacker in a Leeds shirt. Dominic Calver-Lewin, whilst not bad, certainly had his work cut out against Villa. The striker struggled to get into the game at times.
Calvert-Lewin
This might be expected, with Leeds having just 33% possession. Yet, the Englishman did manage three shots and accumulated an expected goals tally of 0.38xG, but did not take any chances in front of goal. He was a nuisance off the ball, too, winning six out of eight aerial duels.
It was not just a tough day at the office for Calvert-Lewin. Teammate Brenden Aaronson, who operated as a left-midfielder, also struggled against the Villans. Today was perhaps not the day for the American to show off his attacking flair, tasked with lots of defensive responsibilities.
Rogers
Indeed, normally someone who likes to have an impact in the final third, Aaronson failed to create a chance and could only manage one progressive carry. Off the ball, he did make an impact, winning five duels and making four recoveries.
Those two players certainly grafted hard and didn’t necessarily perform badly. However, there was one of their teammates who didn’t cover himself in glory.
Leeds' worst player vs Aston Villa
It was certainly an afternoon to forget for Leeds midfielder Ilia Gruev. The Bulgarian international has been a vital player in recent weeks at the heart of Farke’s midfield, but it’s fair to say his performance at Villa Park will not be one he looks back on fondly.
Gruev
That was not for a lack of effort. Gruev is certainly a hardworking part of the Whites' midfield. However, he struggled to get into the game much at all and struggled out of possession, picking up a yellow card late into proceedings, too.
His stats from the game certainly highlight just how disappointing a performance it was from the midfielder. He could only manage 41 touches, fewer than goalkeeper Karl Darlow (45), and won just three out of 12 duels.
Gruev stats vs. Villa
Stat
Touches
Opposition half passes completed
Number of times ball lost
Ground duels won
Aerial duels won
Tackles won
Chances created
Stats from Sofascore
It will be interesting to see if Farke persists with the Leeds number 44 in the middle of the park in the games to come.
He's had an extended run in the side, but the showing against Emery’s Villa was certainly a concern.
I Gruev
If he is dropped from the side, then the Whites boss has options he could turn to. Sean Longstaff made a short seven-minute cameo against the Villans, and Ao Tanaka was an unused substitute.
Gruev will surely be disappointed with his performance in the Second City. It would certainly not be a shock to see him omitted from the side for Leeds’ next game, especially with the option Farke has at his disposal.
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