Rogers Scores Twice as Aston-villa Comes Back to Beat Leeds United

At a glance

Lukas Nmecha’s opener for Leeds awarded after lengthy VAR check

Villa equalise three minutes after half-time through Morgan Rogers

Rogers scores second with stunning free-kick to seal win for visitors

Leeds are 18th after third straight loss as pressure build on boss Daniel Farke

Morgan Rogers scored twice as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Leeds United at Elland Road and pile more pressure on home manager Daniel Farke.

Leeds took the lead in chaotic style after just eight minutes. A Sean Longstaff free-kick was played back across goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson and Villa keeper Emi Martinez was outjumped by Anton Stach.

Stach’s header was cleared off the line – but deflected in off Leeds striker Lukas Nmecha, with the goal finally awarded after a long check by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Villa needed a response after the break, and found it when Donyell Malen – one of two half-time changes by manager Unai Emery – provided a low cross which Rogers flicked home.

And Rogers completed the turnaround when he netted a stunning free-kick from the edge of the area 15 minutes from time.

The hosts thought they had netted an immediate equaliser, but this time VAR went against them as replays showed Dominic Calvert-Lewin had handled the ball in.

Leeds stay in the Premier League relegation zone after a third straight loss, which will raise further questions about the future of Farke.

Villa meanwhile have won six of their last seven, and will end Sunday in fourth place if Tottenham fail to beat Arsenal in the late kick-off (16:30 GMT).

Leeds analysis: Farke’s choices bring more questions

When an under-pressure manager sees his team concede a winning goal from a needless free-kick, he may wonder if it is simply not meant to be.

That was what happened to Farke on Sunday, as errors from Gudmundsson and Ao Tanaka lead to Rogers’ strike which condemned Leeds to a fifth defeat in six.

It had all started so well too.

They say a team struggling for goals will take one going in off someone’s backside. The hosts’ opener here came off the back of Nmecha’s leg – his third in the league this season, making him their joint-top scorer with centre-back Joe Rodon, and just Leeds’ 11th goal of the campaign.

It will perhaps be the messiest goal in the top flight this season, and for a while it looked like it would provide some salve for Leeds – and especially Farke.

But the German – whose position was questioned in the summer despite leading Leeds to promotion – saw his side cede momentum in the second half, and did not help matters with some of his choices.

His persistence with the ineffective Brenden Aaronson – with Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James only used as late substitutes – is a bone of contention with fans, while his decision to take off the sprightly Tanaka cost them midfield bite.

Fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are up next, so Farke needed a result and performance here. He got half of the former, and none of the latter.

The manager’s name was cheered before the game and he was applauded afterwards. However, in the second half, a man carrying a Leeds scarf was apprehended in the technical areas having entered from the stands to berate the home boss.

Villa analysis: Rogers bails out misfiring Watkins

After failing to win their opening five league games, Villa have now only suffered one defeat in their last seven and could end this weekend in the Champions League places.

That appeared unlikely eight minutes in when Martinez was outmuscled by Stach, although the Argentine made amends in the 88th minute with an excellent low save from Pascal Struijk.

Villa also carried little attacking threat before the break, with Ollie Watkins spurning their best first-half chances – heading wide from six yards under pressure, before curling a 20-yarder past the post in stoppage time.

Watkins’ poor form – just one goal in the league this season, a run which perhaps led to him missing out on an England call-up this month – remains an issue.

Fortunately for Emery, another Three Lions attacker stepped up with Rogers scoring two well-taken goals.

Despite this comeback win, some questions remain about Villa’s attack as a whole. Of their 15 league goals so far, eight have come from outside the area – perhaps a sign of misfiring strikers.

But Emery’s side have quality throughout – and eventually it showed.

What’s next for these teams?

Leeds’ next two Premier League games are at Man City on Saturday (15:00 GMT kick-off) before Chelsea travel to Elland Road on Wednesday, 3 December (20:15).

Aston Villa host Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday (17:45) before facing Wolves in the Premier League at Villa Park on Sunday (14:05).

Player of the match

Number: 27 M. Rogers

Average rating 7.88

Number: 6 J. Rodon

Average Rating: 6.36

Number: 3 G. Gudmundsson

Average Rating: 6.09

Number: 22 A. Tanaka

Average Rating: 6.09

Number: 2 J. Bogle

Average Rating: 6.03

Number: 14 L. Nmecha

Average Rating: 5.76

Number: 5 P. Struijk

Average Rating: 5.72

Number: 7 D. James

Average Rating: 5.57

Number: 4 E. Ampadu

Average Rating: 5.52

Number: 8 S. Longstaff

Average Rating: 5.48

Number: 18 A. Stach

Average Rating: 5.31

Number: 19 N. Okafor

Average Rating: 5.26

Number: 29 W. Gnonto

Average Rating: 5.24

Number: 1 Lucas Perri

Average Rating: 5.09

Number: 11 B. Aaronson

Average Rating: 4.94

Number: 10 J. Piroe

Average Rating: 4.65

Number: 9 D. Calvert-Lewin

Average Rating: 3.98

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

Source: BBC