Aston Villa 1 Leeds United 1: Woodwork thwarts Whites in Villa draw

After a goalless first half, Pontus Jansson’s bullet header gave United a 54th-minute lead and the Swede then volleyed a thunderous effort against the bar just one minute later.

Villa were then awarded an 86th minute penalty when Liam Cooper handballed in the area and Jonathan Kodjia smashed home the spot kick to draw the hosts level.

But United were again denied by the woodwork just two minutes later when Hadi Sacko’s effort deflected on to the bar and dropped into the six-yard box before being hacked away to safety.

Villa made a ferocious start and Leeds were let off the hook in the second minute when an awful back pass from Kalvin Phillips let in Jonathan Kodjia but Pontus Jansson saved the day with a sliding tackle.

Then, just four minutes later, Phillips again lost possession to Kodjia whose shot from 20 yards drew a fantastic one-handed save from Rob Green.

The closest Leeds came in the early stages was when a 17th-minute cross from Stuart Dallas sailed wide to a few gasps from the Villa Park crowd.

The Leeds away end then looked on in anguish when Jansson went down injured in the 19th minute but the Swedish centre-back soldiered on after receiving treatment.

Leeds briefly looked threatening when Souleymane Doukara played a nice one-two with Hadi Sacko but Villa again twice went close in the 32nd minute.

First Jordan Ayew’s free-kick was tipped just over the bar by an in-form Green and from the following corner a header from James Chester looped just wide.

But Leeds then began to threaten themselves including twice from Hadi Sacko with two crosses from good positions on the right wing both scrambled away by Villa’s defence.