Henri Lansbury's first goal in over a year rescued a 1-1 draw for Aston Villa in a meeting between two of English football's most famous and best-supported clubs.
Pontus Jansson's first-half header put Leeds in front and on course for a third win in four games - but substitute Lansbury equalised in the final quarter with a sweetly-struck shot from 20 yards.
Henri Lansbury remains a class act
The 27-year-old midfielder arrived from Nottingham Forest in January for a fee of around £3million, having spent a successful five years at the City Ground – making 145 league appearances and being named club captain. He went on to play 18 times in the league for Steve Bruce’s men in the second half of last season but little has gone right for the former Arsenal prospect this term. His second-half appearance at Elland Road marked only his sixth first-team outing this season but he made his mark in exhilarating fashion with a superb equalising goal. After coming off the bench with Jack Grealish in the 65th minute, Lansbury soon made his mark. Collecting possession from Grealish in the 71st minute, Lansbury hit a low right-foot shot from 20 yards which arrowed into the bottom left-hand corner. It was a reminder of Lansbury’s talent and secured Villa a hard-earned point. It was also his first goal for the club.
Leeds’ renaissance hits the buffers
Nobody seems quite sure how good Thomas Christiansen’s men can actually be this season. They began the campaign like a steam train, flattening some of the Championship’s lesser lights such as Bolton, Sunderland, Burton and Birmingham. It took them to the top of the Championship in September and encouraged hopes of returning to the top flight for the first time since 2004. But a 1-0 defeat at Millwall derailed Leeds’ charge quite badly and kickstarted a dismal run of seven losses in eight games. They finally stopped the rot with a hard-earned 2-1 win over Garry Monk’s Middlesbrough on November 19 and victory over Villa would have marked a third win in four games. But they dropped off in the second half, sat back and allowed Villa back into the game. Ultimately, the draw was a major blow to their hopes of a top-six finish.
Pontus Jansson has rediscovered his mojo
The Sweden international defender became a cult figure at Elland Road last term following his arrival from Toronto, initially on a season-long loan. He marshalled the Leeds defence and formed an impressive partnership with Kyle Bartley as the former Premier League giants finished seventh in the Championship – their best campaign for years. Jansson’s no-nonsense style evoked memories of former Leeds hardmen such as the late, great Billy Bremner, Vinnie Jones and David Batty. At times this season, certainly during Leeds’ recent run of poor form, Jansson has looked a shadow of himself. But in recent outings he has rediscovered something approaching his best form and his goal against Villa put Leeds ahead. In the 19th minute, he greeted Pablo Hernandez’s left-wing delivery with a firm header which flew past Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. At the other end, he was largely dominant in defence until Lansbury breached the Leeds goal with a sweetly-struck equaliser.
Ronaldo Vieira is a class act
The midfielder only turned 19 in July but is firmly established as one of the best young players in the Championship. Returning to the Leeds side after serving a one-match ban for being sent off in the recent defeat at Wolves, Vieira enjoyed a fine game alongside Kalvin Phillips at the heart of United’s midfield. Tearing into tackles, breaking up play and generally making life uncomfortable for Villa, Vieira’s performance showed why some of the Premier League’s big boys are tracking the precocious teenager.
