Aston Villa: Unai Emery makes controversial Leon Bailey calI v Ajax
Unai Emery has made the controversial decision to leave Leon Bailey out of the confirmed Aston Villa starting XI against Ajax in the Europa Conference League.
Moussa Diaby is the man selected to take Bailey’s place, while Morgan Rogers, Tim Iroegbunam, Lucas Digne and Pau Torres have all come into the team.
Dropping out of the side that won 3-2 against Luton as well as Bailey are John McGinn, Alex Moreno, Matty Cash and the injured Jacob Ramsey, with Diego Carlos returning to the bench after injury.
Leon Bailey has been crucial for Aston Villa so far this season
Bailey’s form in front of goal has seen him pick up two assists and a goal in his last two Premier League games, while he has become a key part of the team’s three-game winning run with his contributions often proving crucial.
Against Luton, the Jamaican recorded a 100 per cent dribble success rate, made four key passes and created one big chance which led to his assist, while hitting the target with 100 per cent of his efforts on goal. [Sofascore]
His work off the ball also goes unnoticed far too often, with two tackles, one interception, one block and seven duels won of the 13 he competed in showing how hard he works off the ball which has made him key in Emery’s first-team plans.
The game before Luton, a 4-2 win against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, saw Bailey shine again, this time with a goal and an assist on top of a 100 per cent crossing accuracy, two shots on target and one big chance created.
Making the call to drop Bailey ahead of a crucial European game is a controversial decision, particularly given his performances in the last two games, and Emery will be hoping that risk pays off.
Perhaps resting him ahead of their next Premier League outing will prove to be a strong call from Emery, with Bailey having played a minimum of 75 minutes in each of Villa’s last five games.
Hopefully, they can get the job done without him.
In other Aston Villa news, the defensive nightmare at Villa Park may have been resolved.
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