Aston Villa make their return to Premier League action on Wednesday night when they take on Leeds United at Villa Park.

Steven Gerrard's side come into the game off the back of a 1-o victory away at Goodison Park against Everton before the mini break, and will be hoping to continue this resurgence under their new manager.

And while Villa fans will no doubt be hoping to see more out of January signing Philippe Coutinho, who marked his debut for the club by scoring and setting up one against Manchester United a couple of weeks ago, it's Emi Buendia who could be the biggest danger to Leeds tonight.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Gerrard congratulated Buendia on the club's player of the month award for January and hailed the Argentine for the way he has progressed.

He said: "We believe he’s had a fantastic month (in January). All the players needed time to adapt to us and the way we want to play. The good thing for Emi is we believe this style, shape and what we’re trying to do is tailormade for him and his own style. We feel it’s a really good match.

"He’s seen that early on and we’ve had real buy-in from him. He’s a tenacious little character and player, he’s got amazing talent and he’s got stronger and stronger with each training session."

The 25-year-old was superb last season for Norwich, playing in between the lines to good effect and showing the kind of eye for a pass which saw him finish as the Championship's leading assists provider with 16 last term.

And while his performances this campaign at Villa Park has hardly set the world alight - he's managed just two goals all year - there have been very promising signs to say the least in these past few weeks since Gerrard's arrival as the club's new manager.

He of course scored the winner last time out against Everton, while he also picked up an assist in the defeat to Brentford, and will be hoping that a clash against Leeds, who play a very open style of football, is his opportunity to shine.

Indeed, as per Whoscored, out of players who have made more than five starts in the Premier League this season for Villa, Buendia ranks second among his teammates for shots per game, second for key passes, and top for dribbles - exactly the kind of attacking intent that could really catch Leeds out.

While much of the hype might surround Coutinho following his January arrival, it's Buendia who appears to be coming to the fore.

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