While there have been countless players who have been pivotal to our form so far this season, Leon Bailey has been a huge influence for Aston Villa.
Injuries and inconsistency have been real issues for the 26-year-old since he arrived at Villa in 2021, as he managed just one goal and two assists in 18 Premier League appearances in his first season with us.
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Last year, there were signs of improvement, particularly under Unai Emery, as Bailey bumped his numbers up and finished with five goals and four assists in 36 outings across all competitions.
Even despite frustration and poor form, Emery stuck with the Jamaican international for long periods, as he evidently felt that while he had the attributes to be a key cog in our attacking play, he remained an important fit in the side in terms of our style and system.
This season though, so far at least, has been an entirely different story.
In 23 appearances across all competitions, Bailey already has eight goals and eight assists, surpassing his tallies from last year with so much of the campaign still to go.
Such was the relief that he was passed fit and named in the Villa squad to face Brentford on Sunday, that in itself told a story of just how far he has come for us. To then add a decisive contribution as his assist for the equaliser sparked our late comeback, showed he is becoming increasingly important and consistent.
It’s hoped he can stay fit and maintain the standard he’s set for himself in the coming months, as he will be vital to our chances of being successful across multiple fronts.
What makes his impact so much more important and timely, is that others around him vying for a similar role and position have struggled, and so we needed Bailey to step up and deliver.
Whether it’s Jacob Ramsey working his way back from injury, Emiliano Buendia being sidelined for a significant period, Nicolo Zaniolo and Moussa Diaby settling in and still trying to full integrate and show their best form, we needed consistency from someone to help fuel this excellent start to the campaign.
Of course, others have been integral in that too, but Emery has once again shown that patience and hard work away from the pitch can allow him to work his coaching magic and bring out the best in most players.
We’ve seen it right across the squad since he took charge just over a year ago, and Bailey is another shining example of the Villa boss taking a player struggling for form, confidence and fitness, and turning him into a fundamental piece in our pursuit of success.
