The final international break of the year has handed Aston Villa mixed fortunes so far.
Unai Emery’s injury problems were heightened after Pau Torres was sent home from Spain’s training camp and Ezri Konsa limped off the pitch for England against Greece.
The Aston Villa manager is yet to find out the extent of his injury, with Konsa set to go for scans today, but the Spaniard will cross his fingers and hope it’s nothing serious.
On a brighter note, Ollie Watkins started and scored for the Three Lions in a 3-0 win while Morgan Rogers made his England debut from the bench.
Watkins converted his chance inside the box in the seventh minute after Chelsea’s Noni Madueke raced to the byline and superbly cut the ball back.
It was a moment that left former striker Gabby Agbonlahor demanding more from one of Aston Villa’s stars.
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Gabby Agbonlahor wants Leon Bailey to play like Noni Madueke
This season, one of Emery’s biggest concerns has been Leon Bailey’s drop-off in form.
The Jamaican plundered 12 goals and assisted 13 in all competitions last term but so far, Bailey isn’t performing at the same level, as highlighted by his manager.
Speaking after the Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace, Emery said: “There’s still work to do with Leon Bailey to get to the same level as last year.”
The Spaniard isn’t the only one who has noticed his rapid decline in 2024/25, as Agbonlahor was critical of Bailey last month despite the win over Bologna.
Last season, the 27-year-old oozed confidence in wide areas, as highlighted by his goal and assist metrics, but Villa haven’t seen the same player and Agbonlahor has urged him to play like Madueke.
Madueke’s assist for Watkins on Thursday was a great example of exceptional wing play; driving with purpose at his man towards the byline and cutting the ball back.
Bailey just hasn’t shown anywhere enough of his explosive power in the final third, the sort that strikes fear into defences and Emery needs much more from him.
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The statistics that show Bailey’s alarming drop off in 2024/25
Of course, comparing Bailey’s goal involvements between this term and last isn’t a fair comparison as he’s played far fewer games.
But, when looking at his average statistics, the £30 million man has suffered a huge downward spiral, with the Villa winger serving up fewer actions in attack than last season.
| Statistics per 90 | Leon Bailey 2023/24 | Leon Bailey 2024/25 |
| Non-penalty goals | 0.44 | 0 |
| Shots total | 2.31 | 1.61 |
| Shot-creating actions | 4.42 | 2.33 |
| Progressive carries | 4.44 | 3.94 |
| Touches (Att Pen) | 5.61 | 4.12 |
| Progressive passes received | 9.84 | 7.91 |
When looking at the above table, Bailey is performing worse across every metric, most notably non-penalty goals, progressive carries, shots and shot-creating actions.
It just highlights how much confidence he’s lacking at the moment and why Emery needs to see him reach the numbers on the left.
