adminBad News: Leeds United HIT by major Premiere League announcement before Aston Villa clash
Leeds United head into Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa at Elland Road in dreadful form as they desperately search for a much-needed result.
Daniel Farke is under mounting pressure, and with tough fixtures ahead, Leeds urgently need some good fortune to shift momentum in their favour.
Reports suggest that Farke’s future could be decided over the next four matches. If results don’t improve, the 49ers may be ready to part ways with the German.
With Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool all coming up, the importance of securing a positive outcome against Aston Villa this weekend has only intensified.
Leeds may catch a break, as Villa are waiting to see whether Ezri Konsa will recover from the calf injury he suffered while on England duty. However, the referee appointments for the fixture may have caused concern within Elland Road.
Familiar – and controversial – referee for Leeds
Rob Jones has been assigned as the match referee for Sunday’s meeting. He will be supported by assistants Tim Wood and Nick Greenhalgh, with Leigh Doughty acting as the fourth official. Craig Pawson will handle VAR duties alongside assistant Nick Hopton.
Leeds’ record under Jones is respectable: they have won nine of the 19 games he has officiated and lost just five. Jones has overseen Aston Villa matches even more frequently—21 in total—which means both sides will know him well.
Villa have lost 10 out of those 21 Jones-managed fixtures, so they may actually have greater reason for concern heading into Sunday’s game.
However, Leeds supporters still recall a painful experience with Jones last season. The referee came under heavy criticism for a string of errors during Leeds’ 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth in the Championship—a game that briefly threatened to derail their promotion push.
Despite Leeds’ poor overall performance that day, they were denied a clear penalty when Dan James was fouled in the box, only for Jones to dismiss the appeals.
Past luck under Jones in the Premier League
Despite that incident, Leeds also have some positive memories with Jones in charge. In November 2020, during their 1-0 victory over Burnley at Elland Road, several decisions went Leeds’ way.
Jones awarded a penalty to Patrick Bamford after a challenge from goalkeeper Nick Pope, even though replays suggested Pope had touched the ball. Bamford converted the spot-kick for the game’s only goal.
Later in the match, Jones disallowed an Ashley Barnes goal after judging that Ben Mee had fouled Illan Meslier—although replays indicated the Leeds goalkeeper was actually the one who committed the foul.
As Leeds prepare for a crucial test against Aston Villa, they may be hoping for some of that 2020 luck to return and help them secure a vital result.
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