Unai Emery has had key contributions right across his Aston Villa squad so far this season, and Leon Bailey is the latest to start hitting his stride.
It’s been largely frustrating for the 26-year-old since he arrived at Villa in August 2021, as he hasn’t been able to show his full potential and ability thus far.
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Whether that was through injuries, a lack of consistency in terms of his playing time due to competition for places or his lack of form, a lot more has been expected of the Jamaican international for some time.
With one goal and two assists in 18 Premier League appearances in his first campaign with us and a relatively slow start to last season, similarly to many of his teammates, Emery’s arrival has been huge for Bailey.
He ended last season with five goals and four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, and he’s already topped those numbers this year in just 14 outings, having contributed six goals and four assists to date.
Emery has always been a firm believer in him. Despite dips in his form and a lack of decisiveness in the final third, the Villa boss continued to show faith and made him a regular starter.
That arguably had more to do with the winger being a good tactical fit for him in the sense that he’s able to carry out instructions as part of the collective better than others, and so he was an important piece in the side that helped others flourish even if he wasn’t standing out himself.
However, so far in this campaign, Bailey is stepping up and delivering in front of goal, and importantly, he’s finding that all-important consistency that has been lacking previously.
With his pace, directness, skill and goal threat, there was never any real doubt that Bailey didn’t have the attributes to be a key player for us. The concern was whether or not he could put that all together and deliver week in and week out by making a decisive impact in the final third in addition to his hard work for the team.
He’s starting to show promising signs now that it’s starting to click for him, but the challenge just like for all of his teammates, is to get more out of himself and continue to perform at this level. Perhaps more than others too, he is a confidence player, and so it’s vital that he stays in this moment for as long as possible and doesn’t lose his way if his form starts to dip.
Bailey had some brilliant quotes last week when speaking about his role in the Villa squad, and it’s this humble and team-first attitude that makes him such a likeable character off the pitch too.
“We have a lot of games coming up, a lot of games,” he said, as per the Express and Star. “It is important to rotate and it is the manager’s decision, at the end of the day, to decide what is best for the team.
“It is always important to make sure when you are called upon you are ready. That is the life of a footballer.
“I have been in the game some years now, so you have to learn. It is hard for a lot of players but you just have to be strong.
“When you believe in your ability and know what you are capable of doing, you just have to wait for your opportunity and be ready.”
Bailey has certainly been ready so far this season to provide a return on Emery’s faith in him, and he’ll no doubt have a pivotal role to play for us as the year goes on as we look to sustain our superb start to the season both in the Premier League and Europa Conference League after overcoming early adversity.
Admittedly, there were doubts over him previously and he still has to prove himself over an entire year, but whether it’s the Emery effect or simply just that hard work pays off, it’s great to see him shining now.
Goal #️⃣6️⃣ of 2023/24 for @LeonBailey! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eGxoi1gyE2
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 27, 2023