Aston Villa v Leeds United: Premier League – live!

This is a quite sensational way to complete a hat-trick. Rodrigo sprays a pass down the right for Costa, who interchanges with Shackleton before slipping the ball to Bamford, just inside the area but marked by four Villa shirts. No matter! He sorts his feet out, then whips a no-backlift shot into the top left despite being totally surrounded! A stunning move with a finish to match!

72 min: Leeds keep on coming. This time it’s Costa teeing up Dallas, to the right of the D. The full-back’s shot is gathered by Martinez. Villa were looking dangerous just before Bamford’s opener; since then, nothing.

71 min: Klich takes a dig from distance. His low shot is gathered easily enough by Martinez. Then another Leeds attack, as Harrison curls in from the left and nearly sets up a hat-trick chance for Bamford. Konsa blocks.

69 min: That shot may have taken a small deflection off Konsa, but Leeds are worth their two-goal lead. Traore replaces Trezeguet. Grealish is booked for dissent. Villa are in danger of losing their composure here.

A strange sort of justice is done, as a livid Bamford picks up possession from Klich, who had been driving at the Villa box. He takes a touch to the right, and from the edge of the D, pearls an unstoppable shot into the top right!

65 min: VAR checks for the penalty. No dice, the correct decision. Then a check for the red-mist antics of Mings. He escapes. He could easily have been walking. He probably should be walking. But he gets away with one.

64 min: Bamford stands on Mings’ foot as the pair tangle in the Villa box. He goes over spectacularly, then is hauled up by a livid Mings, taking an angry fistful of shirt. Bamford goes down again.

63 min: The corner on the left is worked to Costa on the right. He cuts back for the inrushing Harrison, whose first-time diagonal shot is deflected wide right by Koch.

62 min: Harrison crosses low from the left, looking for Bamford at the near post. Konsa does well to slide the ball out for a corner, just in time.

61 min: Leeds launch another attack at full velocity. Rodrigo slips Costa into space down the right. Costa feeds Dallas on the overlap. Opportunities present themselves in the middle … but Dallas inexplicably runs the ball out of play. Goal kick.

59 min: Leeds are suddenly back on top, and full of beans. No wonder: if they hold onto this lead, they’ll finish the evening in third place, one behind Villa.

57 min: That was some passage of play. A couple of near misses by Grealish, a spectacular save from Konsa, then the sucker punch. How did it take so long for the opening goal?

Bamford starts a counter on the halfway line and keeps on running. The ball’s worked down the left. Rodrigo has a slap from a tight angle, across Martinez, who parries well, but can only tee up Bamford, who completes his run by slamming the loose ball home from close range!

53 min: One corner leads to another. Before that can be taken, Mings is booked for fannying about. Then from the second corner, Konsa volleys towards the top right. Another fine Meslier save denies him. The third corner comes to nought.

52 min: So would this! Grealish takes up possession on the halfway line, and drives down the left. He cuts inside, past Dallas, Ayling and Koch dancing left to right across the face of the Leeds six-yard box. All very George Best versus Sheffield United. But in finally aiming for the bottom right, he slams straight at Meslier, who saves well. Corner.

51 min: A free kick for Villa, 35 yards out, a little to the left. Targett slips to Grealish down the left. Meslier is off his line, anticipating the cross, so Grealish tries to fire a surprise low shot into the small gap at the bottom left. The angle’s too tight, and he finds the side netting. That would have been pretty special.

49 min: Klich steals the ball off McGinn with absurd ease. He advances towards the Villa box with purpose, but then dithers a little. The ball’s switched to Rodrigo on the right, but Villa have had time to funnel back and crowd the box. Rodrigo’s shot is blocked. The ball breaks left to Alioski, who slices wildly over the bar. That move became unnecessarily complicated.

47 min: Another Leeds raid down the left. Harrison skitters along the touchline before cutting infield and fizzing a low shot towards the bottom left. Martinez smothers.

46 min: Leeds are quickly on the front foot. Alioski crosses from the left. Martinez claims well amid a crowded box.

The Few-Minutes-Before-Nine O’Clock News. David Conn with the exclusive.

Don’t let the scoreline fool you. This has been wonderful entertainment. We’re just missing that final touch. Somewhere in the multiverse, we’re halfway to another nine-goal bonanza at Villa Park.

44 min: Leeds break upfield at speed once more. Harrison romps into acres down the left, then swings a low pass infield for Bamford, running into the area at full pelt. He meets the cross, but leaning back, and under pressure from Konsa, slashes wide left from ten yards. A huge chance spurned.

42 min: From the resulting free kick, out on the right, Barkley wafts a very average ball out on the full for a goal kick. Villa come back quickly at Leeds, Grealish going over in the area with Costa at his back. Villa scream for a penalty, but they’re not getting it, and rightly so. There was no contact.

41 min: Shackleton clatters into Watkins with a reckless high-kick. Accidental rather than malicious, which probably keeps him out of the book.

39 min: After some head tennis, Leeds clear the corner and break upfield with speed and sass. Rodrigo finds a little space 25 yards out, and sends a useless curler 25 yards wide and 25 yards over. Like I said, it’s just the final touches that have been missing so far.

38 min: Grealish jigs down the left again, slipping the ball inside for Watkins, who shoots from a tight angle. Ayling is forced to slam behind for a corner.

36 min: Harrison and Alioski have got quite the routine going on down the Leeds left. They win another corner with some crisp, clever passing. Nothing comes of the set piece. Both teams have been effervescent in the build-up; it’s just the final touch that’s been lacking.