Rogers' Double Propels Aston Villa to Comeback Victory at Elland Road

Leeds, England — Aston Villa staged an impressive comeback to defeat Leeds United 2-1 at Elland Road on Sunday, with Morgan Rogers netting a decisive double to overturn an early deficit. The visitors showed remarkable resilience after falling behind, much to the delight of the traveling Villa supporters who celebrated wildly as their team completed the turnaround.

Leeds United started brightly and were rewarded early when Lukas Nmecha broke the deadlock in the 8th minute. The forward finished with a left-footed shot from very close range to the center of the goal following a set piece situation, sending the home crowd into raptures as Leeds took control of the opening exchanges.

The hosts maintained their advantage until halftime despite an injury setback in the 23rd minute when Anton Stach had to be replaced by Ao Tanaka. Villa made tactical adjustments at the break, introducing both Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen, with the latter making an immediate impact. Just three minutes after the restart, Malen delivered a precise cross that Rogers converted with a left-footed shot from the right side of the six-yard box to the bottom left corner, bringing the visitors level at 1-1.

The match intensified after the equalizer, with referee discipline required as both sides battled for supremacy. John McGinn received a yellow card in the 53rd minute, followed by Ethan Ampadu's caution ten minutes later as the contest grew increasingly physical. The turning point came in the 75th minute when Villa were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position. Rogers stepped up confidently and executed a perfect right-footed shot to the high center of the goal, completing Villa's comeback and silencing the home crowd.

Leeds pushed desperately for an equalizer in the closing stages, bringing on Daniel James for goalscorer Nmecha to inject pace into their attack. However, Villa's defense held firm despite the mounting pressure, with Pascal Struijk and Wilfried Gnonto both receiving yellow cards as Leeds' frustration grew. Villa, who had earlier introduced Jadon Sancho for Ollie Watkins, managed the final minutes expertly to secure all three points.

The victory showcased Villa's character and ability to overcome adversity, while Leeds will rue their inability to build on their early advantage. Rogers' match-winning performance demonstrated why he's becoming an increasingly important figure for Villa, who celebrated their hard-fought triumph with passionate celebrations at the final whistle.