Leeds 0-3 Aston Villa: Steven Gerrard's visitors run riot to compound Jesse Marsch's miserable start

Leeds United fans will only forgive their club for dismissing Marcelo Bielsa if his replacement, the American Jesse Marsch, proves to be an upgrade. Much more of this and Marsch will be rebooting his quest for acceptance from the Championship.

Leeds were dreadful here. Weak, dispirited and incohesive. The home team lost by three and it could have been more. 

Marsch’s team played well for roughly 15 minutes of the second half and managed one shot on target all game. It came from 25 yards and was as weak as had been their performance. 

So, with one point now from their last eight Premier League games, Leeds are in deep trouble. They play Norwich here on Sunday and that feels like a game they simply have to win if the locals are not to start tearing the old place down. Here, after goal No 3 for Aston Villa, supporters in the John Charles Stand turned on those in the directors’ seats.

Villa, managed by Steven Gerrard, were excellent. They started well and scored through Philippe Coutinho in the 22nd minute. Later, after weathering the briefest of Leeds’ storms, they re-established control to score quick second-half goals through Matty Cash and Callum Chambers.

Leeds were haphazard in the first half, lacking control and method. The influence of their new coach — apparent despite defeat in his first game at Leicester — was harder to detect here. His team, on such a dire run in the Premier League, looked a little wounded by recent experiences and they were, if anything, fortunate to be only a goal down after 45 minutes.

Villa were good value early on. Such was their grip on territory and possession that the home roar died in the throats of the Leeds supporters quicker than Marsch would have expected or hoped.

Villa led by the 22nd minute and it was the least they deserved. A run down the left side by Lucas Digne put Leeds on the back foot and when his low cross found its way to the far side, Villa’s other full back Matty Cash pulled the ball back for Coutinho to score. 

The Brazilian was impressive in the first half, as he has been since joining on loan in January. But this shot would, in truth, have been saved by Illan Meslier had it not take a deflection up and over his body off Pascal Struijk’s instep.

That is the kind of thing that happens when you are struggling. Things do not always go your way. Moments earlier, for example, Villa forward Ollie Watkins could have been sent off for late contact on the ankle of Luke Ayling. As it was a yellow card was shown by referee Simon Hooper.

The official was booed off at the interval but he was not the reason Leeds were losing. They just hadn’t been good enough.

There were other chances for Villa, too. Coutinho and Tyrone Mings both shot weakly when previously fed from that productive right channel. Then, as Leeds threatened to implode in the moments following the goal, Meslier presented the ball straight to Watkins — had he controlled it he would have scored in to an empty goal — and then saved well from a low shot struck by John McGinn. 

At the other end, Dan James ran a desperate lone furrow through the middle and was starved of service. The first half passed without the home team managing a real shot on goal.

Improvement had to come quickly for Leeds and it did. They were a much more energetic team from the moment Raphinha crossed low from the right forcing Cash to clear desperately in the first minute of the second period. Before long James did the same and once again the ball evaded a Leeds shirt.

Marsch had introduced Joe Gelhardt by now to play up front and when Patrick Bamford was sent on for only his second appearance since mid-September, Leeds had a front three that carried a threat.

Into the final third of the match, however, and Villa caught them with a sucker punch. Cash was afforded far too much room at the far post to collect Danny Ings’ pass and turn inside Junior Firpo, later carried off injured, before scoring with his left foot.

With that, Leeds were done for. They had nothing left. Wide open and lacking spirit, they conceded further chances while offering nothing in return. The third goal was despatched wonderfully into the top corner by Chambers. Tyrone Mings — abused all night by the home fans — provided the assist much to his delight.

This was as bad anything Bielsaball produced this season and that should worry Marsch. By full-time, it was not the referee the Leeds supporters were booing.