Aston Villa returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
An Ollie Watkins double was enough for Unai Emery’s side to jump back into the top four after Tottenham were beaten 2-1 by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Rodrigo Muniz’s strike proved only to be a consolation, as Marco Silva saw his side’s three-game unbeaten run end.
The win ensures Emery’s side avoided back-to-back defeats for the first time this season.
Despite Watkins stealing the headlines, in-form Leon Bailey came close to hitting the back of the net in the first half.
The Jamaican’s strike thundered off the crossbar, a piece of play that left one Sky Sports pundit impressed.
Kris Boyd stunned by Leon Bailey strike
Covering the game on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, Kris Boyd was in awe of the Villa winger’s effort at Craven Cottage.
“Leon Bailey came in from the left and unleashed an unbelievable strike that crashed off the crossbar,” Boyd said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday.
“Fulham were very, very lucky there.”
Bailey’s form has been mightily impressive during the 2023/24 season. His form under Emery has easily been his best since he moved to Villa Park in 2021 for a reported fee of £25million.
Seven goals and six assists from just 12 Premier League starts represent some seriously impressive numbers.
The attacker’s performances have been rewarded with a new contract at Villa Park, having put pen to paper on a new deal on 12 February.
On the Jamacian’s new contract, Emery said, (via Tribal Football): “We are very happy with him and his process here when I arrived was getting better.
“Sometimes, we were working with him to improve and increase his performance.
“His performances were better at home than away, and he is working hard to be consistent, not only when we are with the ball when we can get him in the attacking third to use his speed and get him one-on-one.”
Despite Villa’s injury issues, it’s fair to say Emery’s attacking options are impressive; Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo are currently having to warm the bench.
Next for Villa is a home clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 24 February.
