Leon Bailey hasn’t taken long to become a fans’ favourite, and the Aston Villa winger is fast becoming a key player in Dean Smith’s plans this season.
The strategy this past summer was clear. After Jack Grealish’s departure, Villa wanted to become less reliant on any single individual, and have a more dynamic and threatening attacking unit moving forward.
READ MORE: Talking tactics: Villa’s creative quality eventually finds way past Everton in win
In came Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Bailey, and all three have shown their class already this season with some sublime goals to get us firing. It hasn’t been an ideal start to the Premier League campaign given all the disruptions to the squad that Smith has had to deal with, but ultimately Villa are now looking to kick on after the Everton win with the entire squad at his disposal.
For Bailey though, Saturday night would have been a special moment for him. As detailed in the tweet below, the 24-year-old Jamaican international came on in the 61st minute, and just 14 minutes later he had provided an assist and scored a goal to get Villa Park rocking.
Unfortunately, he had to depart shortly after due to a muscle issue which was seemingly more precautionary than anything else, but it’s hoped that it isn’t serious and he’ll be fit to play next week as we face Man Utd in the league after a trip to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.
Nevertheless, Bailey’s pace, intent, ability to take on players and his class in front of goal has Villa fans very excited, and with good reason too given the quality we’ve seen from him in recent years elsewhere.
The Villa faithful have a new hero, and it’s hoped that this is just the start from Bailey, while the likes of Ings, Buendia, Ollie Watkins and others also find their best form consistently over the course of the season to ensure that this becomes one of the most dangerous attacking units in the entire English top flight.
Saturday night belonged to Bailey though for his stunning cameo appearance, and there is no doubt that there is plenty more to come from him in the coming months and years in a Villa shirt.
61': 🔛
69': 🅰️
75': ⚽️
82': 👏🏽LB31. 🇯🇲⭐️#avfc #UTV pic.twitter.com/EYRDrufqSV
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) September 19, 2021
