Aston Villa took on Leeds United in the Championship with Steve Bruce's side aiming to earn two wins in one week having beaten fellow promotion hopefuls Cardiff City on Tuesday.
Bruce's charges took a lead into half time thanks to an adroit headed finish from Lewis Grabban 29 minutes into proceedings at Villa Park.
The Villains should have added more to their tally in the second period, but they eventually settled for a slender 1-0 win to bolster their faint hopes of achieving a finish in the league's top two.
Relive all of the action with our minute-by-minute updates below.
Good evening all and thanks for joining as Aston Villa take on Leeds United at Villa Park in the Championship. Steve Bruce and his charges need three points tonight in order to mount an outside push for an automatic promotion spot come the end of the season.
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Johnstone; El Mohamady, Chester, Jedinak, Neil Taylor; Snodgrass, Whelan, Onomah, Grealish; Grabban, Kodjia
ASTON VILLA SUBSTITUTES: Bunn, Bree, Samba, Lansbury, Hourihane, Adomah, Hogan
LEEDS UNITED STARTING XI: Peacock-Farrell; Pearce, Pennington, O'Connor, Dallas; Vieira, Phillips, Alioski, Hernandez, Roofe; Ekuban
LEEDS UNITED SUBSTITUTES: Lonergan, Aiita, Lasogga, Grot, O'Kane, Saiz, Struijk
Three changes then for Villa from the side that beat Cardiff City on Wednesday. Neil Taylor, Josh Onomah and Jonathan Kodjia all come in, while Axel Tuanzebe, Albert Adomah and Conor Hourihane make way. Kodjia starts for the first time after coming back from a lengthy injury spell and he will work alongside Lewis Grabban in attack.
Jack Grealish scored a stunner to beat the Bluebirds midweek and he will be a part of a four-man midfielder that also features Onomah, Glenn Whelan and Robert Snodgrass. Mile Jedinak continues in the heart of defence alongside James Chester, while Chris Samba remains on the bench.
For United, Jason Pearce, Matthew Pennington and Ezgjan Alioski are all handed starts, while Pascal Struijk has been named on the bench for Paul Heckingbottom's outfit. Pablo Hernandez will be captaining the visitors at Villa Park this evening.
Villa come into the game having secured a crucial 1-0 win over Cardiff on Tuesday night, thanks to a stunning late strike from Grealish at Villa Park.
The victory over Neil Warnock's men means that Villa are now 10 points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough, but the playoff chasers do have a game in hand over the Villains. Tuesday's win has made Villa pretty much a dead cert for a minimum of a playoff finish, though.
The win a few days ago has just left Villa with some faint hope of an automatic promotion spot too, although they will likely need to win every one of their remaining four games to stand a chance of usurping either Fulham or Cardiff, who are both battling it out for second place. Villa need to somehow claw back at least five points.
Prior to beating Cardiff, Villa had won just once in five league games. Tuesday's victory might have arrived at just the right time as the club looks to rediscover some vital form at the business end of the campaign.
It has arguably been another disappointing campaign for Leeds, who find themselves languishing in 14th place with four games to play.
Much has been made of Paul Heckingbottom's future at the club, with some reports suggesting that Leeds are preparing to cut ties with the former Barnsley coach.
United come into the game with Villa having won just once in their last five league games. That victory came at the end of March when they beat struggling Bolton Wanderers 2-1 at Elland Road. Leeds have lost three of their last six too.
There is a glimmer of hope for Leeds on Friday night, though. Leeds are actually undefeated in nine of their last 10 games against Aston Villa in all competitions.
Heckingbottom's men took the lead last time out against Preston, but found themselves on the end of an emphatic 3-1 defeat away from home.
Villa are coming up against one of their bogey sides in recent years. The Villains have not beaten Leeds since a 2-0 Premier League win back in 2004. They have met three times in the Championship since then, with two 1-1 draws and a 2-0 Leeds win coming at Elland Road in December 2016.
PREDICTION: Not long until kickoff now and it's time to make a prediction. Bruce will want an improvement when in possession following Tuesday's win at Cardiff. Handing Kodjia a start could be crucial as Villa look to move forward with more firepower than they did midweek. Leeds merely have their own pride to play for, while the hosts still find themselves arguably in the hunt for automatic promotion. I'm backing Villa for a comfortable 2-0 win on home soil here.
The players are now making their way out onto the pitch and we will be underway shortly...
KICKOFF! Here we go, Villa get us moving in claret and white, while Leeds feature in an away black strip.
A bright start for the home side, who have an early shot when Grabban breaks free on the left side of the box, but he can only drag an effort wide of Peacock-Farrell's goal.
SAVE! Leeds respond by feeding Alioski down the right channel and he comes inside to evade Taylor. The visiting playmaker unleashes from range, leaving Johnstone to tip his shot over for a corner.
A cagey opening here at Villa Park as both sides aim to get a collective foot on the ball. Both have threatened the goal inside the first five minutes in the Midlands.
Grealish shows wonderful feet in the middle to break through the centre and unleash Grabban down the left. The winger has the chance to find Snodgrass drawing into the centre, although the pass is a poor one and Leeds are able to clear.
This left flank is just starting to offer up some options for the hosts, who release Taylor on the overlap, only to see his delivery into the middle cleared at the front post by O'Connor.
Bruce will be fairly encouraged by what he has seen early on. No real signs of danger from Leeds apart from that early shot.
CLOSE! Almost an opener from Villa and it's all down to Grealish. The midfielder slips in Snodgrass into space and he squares across the box, where O'Connor does brilliantly to clear before Kodja can reach the loose ball.
SAVE! Villa are just starting to take control of proceedings now and Snodgrass comes inside to test the Leeds stopper. The winger opens up with his left from outside of the area to draw a wonderful diving save from Peacock-Farrell.
Jedinak thinks that he is fouled in the middle of the pitch and that allows Leeds to counter. Ekuban battles to break into the middle leaving the rebound to fall kindly into the path of Hernandez. The midfielder winds up to shoot, but sees his effort blocked brilliantly by Whelan.
Ekuban is having to do a lot of work on his own at the moment and he is dealt with by Chester. Villa break with a simple ball over the top for the run of Kodja, who is eventually thwarted when stopper Peacock-Farrell races off his line and out of his area to head away for a throw.
Snodgrass has been threatening when drifting off the right. This time he comes inside and wins a cheap free kick off Hernandez that even hints at a dive. Villa have a free kick in a brilliant position just on the edge of the box.
Perhaps justice is served for Leeds as Snodgrass cannot get the ball up and over the wall to test Peacock-Farrell. Great commitment from the Leeds defence.
Grealish shows neat feet in the middle to then thread a ball wide for El Mohamady. The right-back gets his head up to whip a teasing ball into the middle, but Pennington gets a crucial head to the ball before Kodja can pounce.
Ekuban goes down rather easily on the edge of the Villa box, but the referee decides not to blow his whistle - it surely must I've be a foul or a dive, though? Onomah soon drives down the right, although he cannot get the better of Pearce who deflects his cross away for a corner.
CLOSE! Leeds cannot clear from the resulting corner and the ball falls to Grealish on the edge of the box, who then sees a speculative drive deflect off his own man and away for a goal kick. The hosts are starting to knock on the door now.
More great wing play from the Villains as Snodgrass comes down the right and turns towards the back post. It look as though Taylor will rise to head home, but Dallas makes a crucial clearance with his head.
GOAL! ASTON VILLA 1-0 LEEDS UNITED (LEWIS GRABBAN)
Weak defending from Leeds and Villa have a lead their early dominance has deserved. Grealish dinks a fairly comfortable ball into the middle from the left. Grabban is left to peel slightly behind Pennington in the centre of the box, leaving the forward to cushion a header into the far corner almost unmarked.
Leeds are sloppy once more and that allows for Leeds counter where play is shifted into the feet of Grealish. The youngster winds up from range, although he can only shoot straight down the throat of Peacock-Farrell.
Leeds are really having to weather an Aston Villa storm at the moment. The visitors dispossess Snodgrass but Onomah is straight back at it to win possession again. The hosts' pressing has been a standout feature of this first half.
You wonder how long Kodjia can last at this pace, the frontman is running every channel possible up front for the hosts in a bid to unsettle this Leeds defence.
Leeds need to be wary of this right flank, where El Mohamady gallops into space before crossing into the middle for Kodjia. Peacock-Farrell reads thighs well, though, coming off his line to gather.
CHANCE! Villa have men on the overlap when Kodjia is threaded through to push back the Leeds defence. The frontman should shift things again to Snodgrass in space, although the striker opts to go it alone and is soon hounded out before getting a shot away.
Grealish's touch has been wonderful so far. The youngster drifts into a hole over on the right and curls a wonderful delivery towards the front post, where O'Connor looks to have pushed Kodjia in the back. No penalty from the referee, though...
Dallas looks to drive forward and exploit some space in midfield, but Villa are just too quick on the press and the Leeds man is quickly stifled.
We are going to have one minute of additional time in the first half.
HALF TIME: ASTON VILLA 1-0 LEEDS UNITED
Job done so far then for Villa, who have all but dominated this game in the Midlands. The hosts' energy, pace and intensity has proven too good for Leeds in the first half. Grabban was able to take advantage of some slack defending. Villa's dominance has perhaps been worth a little more than a one-goal lead too.
Leeds have barely been in this contest apart from that early effort from Alioski. Having said that, a piece of magic or a well-worked set piece could bring the away side back into the contest in the second half. Villa will definitely want some sort of cushion heading into the latter stages of this encounter.
Bruce will likely command much the same from his side after the break, although he will want another goal or two to settle any potentially late nerves. We might see Hourihane at some point if they hosts try to shut this game down, while Scott Hogan could come on when Kodjia inevitably starts to tire.
SECOND HALF! Leeds get things moving again here in the second half. The visitors have made a change too with Ekuban being swapped for Samuel Saiz. It looks like Roofe will shift up top now.
CLOSE! Kodjia almost outdoes Pennington with a clever run to beat the offside trap, but the linesman has his flag raised when the frontman brings the ball down inside the visiting box.
Finally something of note from Leeds as Dallas catches Grabban asleep. The full-back drills towards the front post, where Jedinak has to slide in to clear for a corner.
Leeds get the chance to swing in a corner, where Pearce is left to gamble at the front post. The full-back gets a touch that sends the ball looping up towards the far corner, although the ball soon fades wide of the target.
Villa haven't quite settled properly after the break and Leeds are enjoying a positive spell just inside the home half at the moment.
Onomah is just a little too quick for O'Connor and is able to buy a free kick in a good position on the edge of the box...
Snodgrass stands over the kick, but drills a tame effort straight into the wall for the second time tonight. That was really poor...
Saiz drifts out from the centre onto the right wing and he is found by a raking ball from Phillips, before Taylor is able to get across and clear.
Bruce will not be happy with what he has seen in the second period so far. Villa have dropped a few levels in intensity and have rarely had hold of the ball.
CHANCE! Grabban should have a second now as he times his run perfectly to peel off his man and meet a cross, but the striker fires straight at a grateful Peacock-Farrell. The striker is then flagged for offside trying to follow up Kodjia's rebound.
CLOSE! Dallas scampers into space down the right channel and he sticks up a cross towards the back post for Roofe, but El Mohamady shows wonderful experience to put just enough pressure on the makeshift striker to prevent him from having a go.
Villa Park is starting to get a little nervous here, there is certainly tension in the air with Villa holding just a single-goal lead after a dominant first half.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Changes now for both sides. Adomah comes on for Villa frontman Kodjia, while Jay-Roy Grot takes the place of Alioski.
Onomah shows a perfect turn of pace inside the box and he almost moves free of Pennington, but for the centre-backs last-ditch tackle on the byline.
CHANCE! More great play from Onomah, who finds himself deep on the left this time. The winger sends a clever ball into the box and it looks to be there for Chester to attack. Any touch on it and Villa score, but the defender decides not to gamble.
Moving into the final 20 minutes, this game still remains on a knife's edge despite Villa dominating much of the evening. The hosts should be well out in front now. Can the away side make them pay for their wastefulness?
Onomah has come to life on the right and he shows great skill to get the better of Pearce, but the eventual ball into the middle is hooked clear.
CHANCE! Top drawer from Grealish who lifts the ball over the defence to find Adomah clean through on goal, where he can only shoot straight at Peacock-Farrell from a difficult angle.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Villa make another change as goalscorer Grabban is swapped for Hogan up top. Leeds also make a sub as Roofe is taken off for Pierre-Michel Lasogga.
Can Leeds add a sting to the tale here? Villa have looked comfortable after that initial positive spell from the visitors early in the second half.
We're having a slight break in play here as Onomah finds himself on the deck with a knock. Will that force Villa into a third and final change?
Hogan thinks that he is through on goal as he skips past the last man, but Pennington recovers to make a crucial sliding challenge just in the nick of time as the frontman goes to shoot.
Leeds are being dominated in these closing moment. Heckingbottom's men have drifted after a promising start to the half. Villa look comfortable for the win here. You never know, though...
Hogan has been a real threat following his introduction as he aims to break off the last man, but this time he is caught offside by Pennington.
We are going to have three minutes of additional time at Villa Park.
Clever play from Grealish as he busts a gut to get forward on the counter in a bid to get up the pitch and time waste. The midfielder soon does his job by winning a cheap free kick off Viera.
FULL TIME: ASTON VILLA 1-0 LEEDS UNITED
What a huge win for Villa, who have kept themselves in the hunt for an unlikely top-two finish that would guarantee them automatic promotion back into the Premier League. Three points tonight has guaranteed them a finish in the playoff spots too. Leeds were much better in the second half, but just did not have the required quality to pose enough problems for Villa's defence. That's going to be all from me tonight, thanks for joining us!
