Leeds 1-1 Villa
Villa came from behind to grab a share of the spoils at Elland Road in an incident packed and at times nasty encounter.
Hassan Kachloul's well-taken goal on 34 cancelled out Alan Smith's opener - two minutes earlier the Leeds scorer had been dismissed for violent conduct.
With Mark Delaney out injured, Steve Stone slots back to right-back, opening the way for skipper Paul Merson's return to Premiership action.
Stone did well to block a Wilcox effort after just two minutes as Leeds opened at a blistering pace.
Robbie Keane should have given the hosts an early lead as Schmeichel failed to collect Smith's right-wing cross on six. Wilcox cut the ball back into Keane's path, but the former Coventry man fluffed his shot.
Two minutes later Alpay had to be alert, cutting out Keane's centre, with Smith waiting to pounce in the middle.
As Leeds called the shots early on, Villa's first effort saw a Vassell effort deflected well wide on 13.
A minute later though, Wright forced Martyn into the first real save of the match, with a 30-yard effort that took a deflection off Angel. Vassell headed just wide from Leeds opened the scoring on 18 following a real blunder from Alan Wright.
The Villa left-back saw his under-hit back-pass intercepted by Keane. The Republic of Ireland ace slipped the ball to Smith and he fired home, despite the valiant efforts of Stone on the line.
Hendrie tried his luck from distance on 21, but hit his shot straight at Martyn. Moments later Alpay slid in to deny Bakke at the other end. Smith then headed straight at Schmeichel from Harte's cross.
Three minutes later Schmeichel stopped Leeds doubling their lead, saving Keane's header from a Smith cross at point-blank range. Both Leeds men looked to be in offside positions.
Villa had a good shout for a penalty ignored on 27 as Matteo appeared to handle the ball, with Vassell latching onto Merson's through-ball.
The hot-headed Smith, who had already escaped punishment for two fouls on Alpay, saw red on 32, for allegedly elbowing the same Villa man.
Villa quickly made the most of their numerical superiority as Kachloul levelled matters within two minutes, brilliantly volleying home Merson's free-kick.
Merson saw his shot from the edge of the box well saved on 43, after Boateng had done well to create the opening, wriggling free of two markers.
Angel was the next to try his lick from distance two minutes later - again Martyn was equal to the effort.
The half-time interval did nothing to cool things down as Hendrie found his way into the book on 48 for a foul on Lee Mills. John Gregory immediately withdrew Hendrie, replacing him with Ian Taylor.
Bakke tried his luck from 30-yards two minutes later, but found Schmeichel equal to his effort. Leeds should have restored their lead on 59.
Schmeichel saved Bakke's effort and dived at Keane's feet to see the striker fire high and wide.
With Villa struggling to break down ten-man Leeds, John Gregory opted for a change of tack on 61, bringing Dublin on for Angel.
Harte flashed a shot wide from 30-yards on 76, while Taylor had a shot deflected wide at the other end two minutes later.
Alpay, booed at every touch following his part in the Smith dismissal, then missed the chance to silence the Leeds faithful as he flashed a shot well over the bar.
Merson was also off-target from distance. Wright was the second Villa man to go into the book on 88 and, not for the first time in a niggly 90 minutes, Danny Mills at the centre of the incident.
Rio Ferdinand almost grabbed a last-gasp winner, heading onto the foot of the post as he met Harte's free-kick deep into injury-time.
That was to be the last chance of the afternoon, with both sides having to settle for a point.
Leeds: Martyn, Mills (booked 51), Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bakke, Johnson(booked 34), Batty, Wilcox, Keane, Smith (sent-off 32).
Subs: Kelly, Dacourt, McPhail, Duberry, Robinson.
Aston Villa: Schmeichel, Stone, Alpay, Mellberg, Wright (booked 88), Merson, Boateng, Hendrie (booked 48), Angel, Vassel, Kachloul.
Subs: Taylor (Hendrie 51), Dublin (Angel 61), Staunton, Ginola, Enckelman.
Att: 40,159
Ez nem rossz eredmény, még ha hátrébb is kerülünk a tabellán. Most már mindenki láthatja, hogy a Villát komolyan kell venni.