Leon Bailey will love Unai Emery’s new Aston Villa contract more than his teammates
Unai Emery has signed a new contract with Aston Villa and with his upturn in form this season Leon Bailey is likely to be as happy with the news as anyone.
The news shared by the club’s official website on Tuesday (23 April) has delighted Villa fans, given the Spaniard’s success in the last 18 months.
After being appointed in October 2022, Emery has taken Villa from a potential relegation battle to a Champions League hunt.
This campaign sees the Villans in a European semi-final and fighting against Tottenham Hotspur for fourth place.
His success has been down to the improvements of key players such as Ollie Watkins. There is no doubt that Leon Bailey is up there with the most improved player at Villa Park under Emery.
Leon Bailey in top Aston Villa form under Unai Emery
Bailey signed for Villa amidst plenty of fanfare for £25m in 2021 [BBC], such had been his form for Bayer Leverkusen.
Between 2017 and 2021 the Jamaica international registered 39 goals and 156 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit. His last season was his most impressive as he scored 15 [FotMob].
He could not keep this form up as he moved to the Premier League. His first two seasons only saw six goals despite 54 appearances in all competitions.
Under the tutelage of Emery, Bailey has become a different player this season which has seen his goal involvement boom.
According to FotMob, he has scored 10 Premier League goals and contributed an additional nine assists.
He is set to become just the second player to double-figure goals and assists in the Premier League, behind one Ollie Watkins.
His great form doesn’t look like slowing down. Against Bournemouth, he was once again on top of his game. A goal and an assist were the icing on the cake for his performance.
In 87 minutes at Villa Park, he kept an 86 per cent pass accuracy across 56 touches of the ball [FotMob]. His outside-of-the-foot assist for Morgan Rogers just summed up his confidence.
Bailey is just one of many top performers under Emery but is evidence of the work the Spaniard has done to improve the side.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has made a new prediction around Watkins’ future amid links between Villa and Joshua Zirkzee
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