MY ACCOUNT
Jacob Ramsey and Daniel James both scored twice as Aston Villa and Leeds played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at Villa Park.
Leeds took the lead in the ninth minute, working the ball from back to front with a flowing team move that culminated in Daniel James firing in across goal and through the legs of Tyrone Mings.
The hosts levelled things up on the half-hour mark when Matty Cash found Coutinho who arrowed a low strike into the bottom corner.
The Brazilian then turned provider, feeding Ramsey to make it 2-1 before the youngster grabbed his second, smashing an emphatic finish high into the net.
James also got his name on the scoresheet a second time before the break, making it 3-2 just before half-time with a close-range header.
Diego Llorente hauled the visitors back on level terms in the 63rd minute but Leeds were unable to capitalise on their man advantage after Ezri Konsa was sent off late on.
Villa manager Steven Gerrard described the game as “chaos”, hailing Ramsey and Coutinho but insisting his men needed to improve at the back.
He said: “Chaos is the right word. Even I needed a breather at half-time. It was a great advert for the Premier League but we need to improve defensively and stop giving sloppy goals away.
“A lot to be pleased about. Our goals were superb. We conceded at a poor time just before the break but Leeds probably deserved that. It was certainly not a game for coaches but for fans.
“I think it would have been slightly unfair on Leeds had we gone in 3-1 up at the break. Jacob Ramsey keeps getting better each game. Philippe Coutinho is getting back to his best. It was a great experience being alongside Bielsa. We need to learn from that.”
Leeds goalscorer James echoed that sentiment, revealing his delight at scoring but rueing his side’s defensive lapses.
He said: “Thankfully [my shot] went into the bottom corner and it was a great start for us. We’re obviously disappointed to concede those three goals in the first half but we came back and got the point.
“The game was with them a bit but we came out and controlled the game a bit more. I thought we played well today. I want to score more and get more assists. I’ve got to keep pushing and making those runs.
“We’ve had injuries in the team. We always want additions for the squad. The young lads who have played have done well but we obviously want those players back.”
Did you know?
Villa against Leeds is the first Premier League match to see a player score more than once in the first half for both sides (Ramsey and James) since Wolves against Tottenham in March 2011 (Kevin Doyle and Jermain Defoe).
Llorente scored his third Premier League goal – his first away from home – with all three coming from corner kicks.
Coutinho is the sixth Villa player to score in each of his first two Premier League appearances at Villa Park, and the first since Carlton Cole in August 2004.
Ramsey is the youngest player to score more than one goal in a Premier League game for the Villans (20y 257d) since Luke Moore netted a hat-trick against Middlesbrough in February 2006 (19y 356d).
Konsa is the first Premier League player to be sent off twice this season, while he’s the first Villa player since Lee Hendrie in 2000-01 to be sent off twice in a season in the competition.
