What the Aston Villa boss said before and after full time shows how far Leeds United have come since November's reverse meeting
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
16:21, 23 Feb 2026
Unai Emery paid Leeds United a big compliment on Saturday
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Unai Emery paid Leeds United a big compliment on Saturday(Image: Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
It was almost the win Leeds United have yet to muster this season. A Premier League away victory with a clean sheet having had to essentially weather 45 minutes against the ball.
There were some similarities between September's win away at Wolves - United’s only roadtrip win of the Premier League season - and the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Heavy rain, an unsettled West Midlands crowd and an Anton Stach free-kick.
It might have been even more similar if Dominic Calvert-Lewin had taken either of his two clear opportunities at Villa Park, the striker having opened his Leeds account at Wolves.
Like at the weekend, the last meeting against the Villans at Elland Road was decided by a set-piece - a sumptuous knuckle-ball free-kick from Morgan Rogers that deceived Lucas Perri after Joe Rodon failed to jump in the wall properly.
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This time, Leeds were left trudging off the pitch after succumbing to a less graceful set-piece move.
After Rodon - who had otherwise been excellent - failed to win his header from a corner, Tammy Abraham would knee the knock-down just over the head of 6ft 2in Calvert-Lewin and into the net two minutes from time.
There are storylines to be found in each crevice of this contest, such as Karl Darlow - who has now usurped Perri - producing the goods where his colleague has failed to, or Lukas Nmecha squandering a chance before Leeds went on to drop points, a la Newcastle United away.
But the overarching takeaway theme has to be something that Villa boss Unai Emery had declared in his matchday programme notes: "Leeds United, a club that has returned to the Premier League and is showing that it belongs right where it is.”
Ultimately, Leeds went toe-to-toe with the team in third place, and one Daniel Farke ranked as a title contender. Ironically the draw on Saturday has probably put the final nail in their coffin regarding any first place hopes.
The picture for Farke himself has drastically changed from the last time the two clubs met, with in-game chants about substitutes and a smattering of full-time boos ringing out during November’s defeat.
Like back then, Leeds scored first on Saturday and couldn’t hold on but this time they claimed a point and walked off disappointed having not got more. “They are performing well and competing very well - their best characteristic is how they're competing,” Emery added after full-time.
Leeds have made telling progress. Since that reverse defeat to Villa, United have shown that they are very much a Premier League team, this exemplified by extracting two points from away clashes with Chelsea and Villa.
Manchester City on Saturday will be their toughest test of the three but afterwards, Leeds only play one current top six club for the rest of the season. In fact, they only play three of the top 10.
It is a credit to a newly-promoted Leeds side that up to now only title favourites Arsenal have done the home-and-away double.
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Only four more teams have the opportunity to do that from now on, but Leeds will fancy their chances of beating Burnley and Brighton at home and maybe grab a result away at Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite what pundits are opining about their trajectory, Leeds are not safe until they are safe and Farke will be reminding the squad about this.
But belief, momentum and quality are all necessary factors for survival and Leeds have shown that in abundance since November’s defeat to Villa.