Aston Villa defender James Chester admits he can’t stop dwelling on Leeds game

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Aston Villa preserved their unbeaten home record with a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Villa Park.

Aston Villa defender James Chester has insisted that the club’s most recent game with Leeds United was one that helped justify his decision to drop out of the Premier League, and admitted that he cannot forget the final stages of the dramatic contest at Villa Park, the Birmingham Mail reports.

Going into the final 10 minutes of Thursday’s contest, Leeds boasted a 1-0 lead over Steve Bruce’s men. But the home side managed to preserve their unbeaten home record as Jonathan Kodjia equalised from the spot.

However, that was not the end of the drama as a captivating passage of play saw both teams come desperately close to claiming the game’s third goal, and what would have surely been the three points.

Aston Villa’s James Chester in action with Leeds’ Souleymane Doukara

And Chester has provided an insight into what it was like to be involved in such a contest.

“When I signed there was a question mark over whether I wanted to come down to this division,” he said, as reported by the Mail.

“But playing for this club on big occasions, like the game against Leeds for example, it does feel like a Premier League game.

“I’m really enjoying playing for the club and those last ten minutes of the Leeds game are still going through my head.”

Leeds United manager Garry Monk and Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce

While Chester will argue that playing for Villa still provides him with the chance to play in games of Premier League stature, it is arguably only by securing promotion back to the top flight that he will properly justify the move he made in the summer.

But after a slow start, Villa have most definitely put themselves into the play-off picture. And a continuation of the form they have shown since Bruce arrived will surely see them right in the mix for a top six spot come the end of the campaign.

And given the amount of quality players within their squad, it would perhaps take a brave person to bet against Villa making an instant return to the top flight, which would certainly vindicate Chester’s decision.