Emi Buendia is showing Leeds United exactly what they are missing for Aston Villa

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Things could have been very different for Emi Buendia this season, as he was linked with a switch from Aston Villa to Leeds United in the summer.

Leeds United were linked with a host of attacking talent in the summer transfer window, as they looked to bolster the options available to Daniel Farke.

However, having missed out on a late deal for Harry Wilson, Farke was left frustratingly short in attack as they embarked upon their attempt to stay in the Premier League.

Emi Buendia was one option that Leeds reportedly considered, as he appeared to be out of favour at Aston Villa ahead of the new season.

However, after impressing under Unai Emery in recent weeks, Leeds will see what they missed out on with their own eyes as they look to end a 22-year winless run against Aston Villa at Elland Road in the top flight.

One-time Leeds United target Emi Buendia is impressing for Aston Villa

Roy Keane and Gary Neville predicted that Leeds would lose the game against Villa on their way to relegation this season, and based on their recent performances, Buendia is likely to be at the heart of their side.

According to the BBC, Buendia has been involved in five goals in his last five Premier League games for Aston Villa, with three goals and three assists.

This translates to a goal involvement every 39 minutes in those games, equalling the number of goal involvements he managed in his previous 37 league appearances.

Emi Buendia’s last five Premier League appearances:

• Bournemouth – 1 goal
• Manchester City – 1 assist
• Tottenham – 1 goal
• Burnley – 0 goals or assists
• Fulham – 1 goal, 1 assist

By contrast, as a team, Leeds have scored just four goals in their last five Premier League games, at a rate of one goal every 112.5 minutes since the 2-1 home defeat against Tottenham.

With a lack of high-quality options in attack, Farke would surely love to have a player of Buendia’s calibre to call upon at the weekend.

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Emi Buendia is wary of Leeds United threat

In another world, Buendia could have been preparing to face Villa for the first time as a Leeds player this weekend, with Leeds making a late bid to sign him in the transfer window.

Instead, he is looking to force Leeds closer to the bottom three and extend Leeds’ run to three consecutive defeats.

Speaking to the Express and Star ahead of the game, Buendia admitted that he remains wary of the threat posed by Leeds, despite their recent struggles.

He said: “We know we are in a good moment, with good momentum. We have to keep working. [Unai Emery] is always giving the same message, to build the team and be focused on every game like we do.

“We focus on every detail, to prepare the match to face every opponent with a lot of respect. Every team deserves credit and respect. We work a lot on it. We know how hard every competition is.”