England Cricket legends split when asked to predict Leeds United v Aston Villa

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Former England Ashes heroes James Anderson and Stuart Broad have delivered a mixed verdict when asked to predict the outcome of Leeds United v Aston Villa.

Leeds United and Aston Villa have enjoyed contrasting seasons to date as they prepare to meet in the Premier League.

Having started the season well under Daniel Farke, Leeds have lost four of their last five games in a worrying drop-off in form.

By contrast, Villa appeared destined to join Leeds in a relegation battle in the opening weeks, before finding their groove to win five of their last six Premier League games under respected manager Unai Emery.

Now, former England cricketers Broad and Anderson have predicted the outcome of the game, as Leeds look for their first home Premier League win over Aston Villa in 22 years.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson deliver Leeds United prediction

Speaking to the Premier League X (formerly Twitter) account, Anderson and Broad were divided over Leeds’ hopes of bouncing back from the defeat against Nottingham Forest.

Broad agreed with former Premier League striker Ian Wright, who backed Villa to claim a narrow 1-0 victory at Elland Road.

The former England man said: “Leeds United v Aston Villa, Forest beat Leeds last time out, I think that might have just rocked them slightly.

“So, Villa will get the job done, get the result away from home. I think it’s going to be just 1-0 to Villa.”

However, Anderson was more optimistic about Leeds’ chances at home, as he said: “I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw.”

• READ MORE: Roy Keane and Gary Neville deliver unanimous verdict on Leeds United’s survival hopes

First half will be key for Leeds United in Premier League clash

Although Leeds have a poor recent track record against Villa, there are some reasons for optimism for Farke’s side.

According to FotMob, Villa rank 19th in the Premier League for expected goals, with an overall total of just 9.4 in 11 games, and 18th for big chances created, with just 15.

As a result, the start will be crucial for Leeds. According to the BBC, Leeds have the highest share of goals scored in the first half of games, with eight of their 10 goals coming before half-time.

Therefore, it is imperative that Leeds give themselves a lead to hold on to, as Villa may not be able to carve out many chances based on the season so far.