Unai Emery to regret Ollie Watkins call as Aston Villa starting XI named to face Leeds United
Aston Villa have named their starting 11 ahead of their away clash against Leeds United.
Leeds will play host to Villa at Elland Road on Sunday with the hope of picking up yet another three points in the Premier League.
Villa beat Bournemouth 4-0 last time around and will be keen to maintain that level of performance away in West Yorkshire.
The newly promoted outfit will represent a tough test with Daniel Farke preparing his Leeds side to face Villa after back-to-back defeats.
Unai Emery has now named his side, but may live to regret the inclusion of Ollie Watkins after what has happened in previous outings for the Villa Park outfit.
Aston Villa name starting 11 to face Leeds United
Watkins has been poor for Villa this season, but has been named in the starting 11 to face off against the Whites.
The striker was absent from the most recent England squad after scoring just one league goal since the beginning of the campaign.
That shoddy level of form was on show once again against Bournemouth as the 29-year-old took just 26 touches and completed only 58 per cent of his attempted passes.
His three shots also caused little problem for the Cherries, while he also struggled in the duel, failing to win a single one of his three attempts.
Watkins has managed to maintain his spot in the starting XI in what is a useful-looking Villa side, with Youri Tielemans returning to replace Amadou Onana.
The backline has a familiar feel once again, with Emi Martinez being joined by Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne.
Similar can be said of the midfield and forward line, as John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara feature alongside Emi Buendia, Morgan Rogers and Watkins in claret and blue.
- Read more: Jadon Sancho is ready to quit Aston Villa
Aston Villa must secure victory vs Leeds United
It may be an early stage of the season, but with Liverpool and Manchester City both losing, points are so important.
Emery will be desperate to earn qualification for the Champions League, and it is these sorts of matchweeks that will make the difference.
He needs every single player to be on top form and aware of the situation in order to get the result that could send Villa into the top four.
Leeds will represent a tough test based on their previous form at Elland Road, but it will be the away side’s job to quiet them down quickly.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247