Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has publicly acknowledged that winger Leon Bailey has dropped below his expected level this season.
Bailey, who earns £120,000 per week, played a pivotal role in Villa’s Champions League qualification last term, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists in 35 Premier League appearances.
However, the Jamaican international has struggled to replicate that form in the 2024/25 campaign, failing to score in the league and mustering just two assists.
After Villa’s 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace, Emery expressed his concerns about Bailey’s performance.
“There’s still work to do with Leon Bailey to get to the same level as last year,” Emery admitted.
The statistics support Emery’s assessment, with Bailey’s goals per 90 minutes plummeting from 0.44 last season to 0.00 this term. His expected goals (xG) per 90 have also decreased significantly, from 0.27 to 0.08.
In contrast, Bailey had three goals and one assist after nine league games last season.
Emery’s comments suggest that Bailey needs to rediscover his form to justify his substantial wages and help Villa build on last season’s success.
The Spaniard remains committed to his squad rotation policy, despite criticism following the Carabao Cup exit.
“We are building the team, building the structure,” Emery explained. “Today we competed, but we lost. I am disappointed and frustrated, but we competed with the players to get the performance.”
Bailey will aim to regain his form and silence his critics as Villa focus on their Premier League campaign.