The three things Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa must do to beat Leeds United

Leeds United have had a fairly disappointing season so far as Marcelo Bielsa sees his side slowly slipping into a relegation battle, just a year after setting the league alight.

Their season has been hindered by key injuries to players such as Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, who were the foundations of the squad that managed to finish in the top half of the table last season.

Their struggles in the absence of these players have been clear, they have conceded the third highest number of goals this season with 40, and it comes as no surprise given their defensive statistics. They have conceded a total of 243 shots so far from open play, which is second behind only behind Newcastle United.

Despite their vulnerability in terms of their defence, they remain a threatening and frantic team in every other area of the pitch. Per game they average 55.6% possession as well as 21.1 shot creating actions per game, which is the sixth most within the league for most statistics.

They are clearly creating and playing as if they are still the same side from last year, which hints to why they were able to pull off results such as the 3-2 win against West Ham United recently. Their injuries and lapses defensively have cost them in this campaign, but their position in the league should not distract Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa from the threat they pose.

This is what Villa must do in order to secure all three points against Leeds on Wednesday night...

Villa have been overwhelmed by Leeds at Villa Park in the past and in several of Gerrard's games in charge, they have started slow. Leeds will aim to set the tone both in possession and out of it with their pressing. They have recorded a total of 3483 pressures so far this season,