Leeds are still without a talisman in attack so far this season.
Daniel Farke has only seen Dominic Calvert-Lewin score once in nine Premier League appearances, while Lukas Nmecha can boast just two in 11 Premier League games.
Leeds v Aston Villa head-to-head stats
It means Leeds fans will be torn over who should lead the line against Aston Villa on Sunday, but there is a strong argument to be made for Dan James being given the nod.
Daniel Farke should start Dan James as a striker in Leeds United vs Aston Villa
James deserves to start somewhere in attack for Leeds after two standout performances for Wales over the international break, but his previous efforts against Aston Villa suggest he could be best served starting as a striker this Sunday.
Back in February 2022, the Wales international was fielded as a striker by Marcelo Bielsa for a clash with the Villans at Villa Park, and proceeded to score twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
That was obviously over three years ago, but interestingly, the backline used by Steven Gerrard that day is almost identical to the one Unai Emery deploys right now.
It consisted of Emiliano Martinez in goal, Lucas Digne on the left, Matty Cash on the right, along with Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings in the centre of defence.
Aston Villa defeated Bournemouth 4-0 last time out using the same backline, with the exception of Pau Torres in place of Mings.
It suggests James could experience similar enjoyment up against the Villans on Sunday, although Farke has never used the Leeds No.7 as a striker himself, so it would be a new experience for the German if he copied Bielsa and gave it a go.
Dan James can still cause havoc playing on the right flank
Even if Farke decides against this tactic and puts James – who Joe Rodon outpaced for Wales – in his natural position on the right, it could still cause Aston Villa problems.
The 28-year-old scored for Wales in a 7-1 win over North Macedonia on Tuesday night by smartly moving inside and making a clever run off Harry Wilson, as you can see below.
It was a passage of play we could see Calvert-Lewin replicating for James at Leeds, as he is a striker who likes to run the channels and come wide.
We would advise Farke to test James out as a striker against Aston Villa, but ultimately, he deserves to be involved in the starting XI somewhere after his last five appearances came from the bench.
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