Unai Emery needs to sub on Aston Villa secret weapon Leon Bailey at half-time to secure win v Chelsea
Aston Villa are doing their utmost to maintain their strong run of form, with Chelsea currently standing in their way.
The Midlands club are on a three-match unbeaten run in all competitions, with two wins and a draw from their last three games.
Premier League rivals Chelsea are currently testing that run in the FA Cup fourth round, with Stamford Bridge playing host to the match on Friday (25 January).
Unsurprisingly, the travelling manager opted for a strong starting XI, with his attack relying on Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby.
The duo have really impressed this season, but the man in the dugout should perhaps be considering a half-time swap in the form of Leon Bailey for Diaby.
Bailey has also been hugely impressive across all competitions, with the Jamaican boasting nine goals and eight assists in all competitions [Transfermarkt], therefore having 17 goal contributions to his name.
And even though Villa were held to a goalless draw against Everton before their trip to Stamford Bridge, Bailey still put in a top performance at Goodison Park.
As per Sofascore, the winger completed 23 of his 29 passes during his 64 minutes on the pitch, one of which was key. Bailey also had a shot on target before being replaced by Jhon Duran.
The Jamaican did, however, fail to win any of his three duels, as well as losing possession of the ball 10 times, with those areas definitely needing to be improved upon if he is to have a successful impact at Stamford Bridge.
That said, it is his attacking output that Emery will be prioritising, and Bailey has shown time and again this season that he knows how to both score and create goals.
The attacker is no stranger to having to impress from the bench, with the 26-year-old having been subbed on 10 times in the league this season [official Premier League website].
In other Aston Villa news, one exit-linked Villa man recently shone with an 86% display, Emery will surely be delighted.
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