Gareth Barry hardly enhanced his chances of appearing in Sven-Goran Eriksson's first England side as Aston Villa lost their fifth Premiership game in a row last night.
With Eriksson - whose reign begins with a friendly against Spain at Villa Park next month - in the stands, Barry's was the error which enabled Leeds to draw level. It was his foul which led to the penalty from which Ian Harte scored their winner, although Paul Merson hit the post and then the bar for Villa in the space of half-a-minute near the end.
Pre-season optimism is apt to be a perennial false prophet. Nevertheless, neither Villa nor Leeds could have expected to be trapped in the lower half of the Premier League at this stage.
Late January finds them, not clutching at the leaders' coat-tails in the hope of a Champions League place, but grubbing around for points to achieve a little more respectability in a season which, for both, is rapidly becoming threadbare.
There is still the FA Cup, of course, and for Leeds the brighter prospect of renewing their dogged progress in the Champions League. Yet, last night found David O'Leary's side seeking to turn around a parlous run of six defeats in 10 league matches while Villa sought their first point, not to mention their first goal, in five Premiership games having won one in 10.
O'Leary trusts that, in the long-term, the presence of Rio Ferdinand in defence and Robbie Keane in attack will reinvigorate his team.
For Villa's John Gregory, however, last night was a more immediate test of his judgment in the transfer market. Juan Pablo Angel, the Colombian striker for whom Villa have just paid River Plate £9.5 million, was making his first home appearance.
In the 24th minute, Ian Taylor met a high ball into the penalty area from Barry with an astutely-angled downward header, leaving Merson, who was unmarked to his right, to find the net at his ease.
Leeds were level four minutes later, courtesy of a slip by Barry which allowed Keane's obliquely-angled pass to reach Lee Bowyer, who scored with equal simplicity.
Thereafter, something of a spring returned to Leeds' step and they could have led by half-time had Keane done better with the centre from Gary Kelly which reached him barely six yards from goal. All Keane could manage, however, was a half-header which threatened no one.
Aston Villa: James, Stone (Delaney 80), Alpay, Staunton, Barry, Wright (Ginola 69), Taylor (Vassell 54), Boateng, Hendrie, Merson, Angel. Subs Not Used: Dublin, Enckelman. Booked: Alpay, Barry. Goals: Merson 24.
Leeds: Robinson, Kelly, Woodgate, Ferdinand, Harte, Bowyer, Dacourt (Batty 77), Bakke, Matteo (Wilcox 45), Viduka, Keane (Smith 76). Subs Not Used: Martyn, Mills. Goals: Bowyer 28, Harte 75 pen.
Referee: S Bennett (Orpington).
