Leeds United have come up against some of the best players in the Premier League this season – but tonight they have another test in the form of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Marcelo Bielsa’s defence has experience against the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne so far.
But the Aston Villa hitman could well hurt Leeds during tonight’s clash at Villa Park.
That’s because the former Brentford marksman has three goals in four Premier League games under Dean Smith this season, which was his hat-trick in the 7-2 demolition of Liverpool earlier this month.
And Leeds’ in-house pundit and former player Ben Parker has highlighted the 24-year-old’s threat and even suggested he would fit right in with Bielsa’s side in West Yorkshire, such are his on and off-the-ball qualities.
He told LUTV: “I like Watkins. He’s a typical type of Leeds player for me in terms of work rate and adding goals.
“If we get anything out of the game at Villa Park, we’ll have to be at our best.”
Watkins would’ve of course been a good signing for Leeds but, really, they didn’t need him.
Patrick Bamford has the same amount of Premier League goals as him this season – and spread across three different games – while the Whites also broke their club record in signing Rodrigo from Valencia.
It’s been a slow-ish start to life at Elland Road for the Spaniard, but he scored against Manchester City prior to the international break and another couple wouldn’t go amiss tonight if Bamford struggles.
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