Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester: Leon Bailey leaves it late to fire Unai Emery's side past the Foxes

Report and free match highlights as Aston Villa secured a win against Leicester; Ross Barkley opened the scoring after the break but Stephy Mavididi slammed home the equaliser shortly after; Leon Bailey restored the lead with his first goal of the Premier League season

Saturday 4 January 2025 21:36, UK

Leon Bailey scored his first goal of the Premier League season to fire Aston Villa to a 2-1 win against Leicester.

The mood was low in Villa Park when Stephy Mavididi slammed home the equaliser shortly after Ross Barkley's stunning opener but Villa had some well-needed help off the bench to propel them to victory.

After climbing from the dugout in the 76th minute, summer signing Ian Maatsen raced into the box and teed up his team-mate Bailey for the second goal within seconds of coming on.

It is a win that only takes Villa up to eighth in the table but it will allow Unai Emery to breathe a sigh of relief regardless, after ending 2024 with a draw and a loss against Brighton and Newcastle respectively.

Player ratings: Barkley broke the deadlock

Aston Villa: Martinez (6), Cash (6), Konsa (6), Mings (6), Digne (6), Tielemans (5), Kamara (6), Barkley (8), McGinn (n/a), Bailey (7), Watkins (6).

Subs: Ramsey (6), Maatsen (7), Buendia (n/a).

Leicester: Stolarczyk (6), Justin (6), Coady (6), Vestergaard (7), Thomas (6), Winks (6), Soumare (6), El Khannouss (6), Mavididi (8), Ayew (6), Vardy (6).

Subs: Faes (6), Okoli (n/a), Daka (n/a), Buonanotte (n/a).

Player of the Match: Ross Barkley.

As for Leicester, despite showing signs of fight in their battle for survival, Ruud van Nistelrooy's side have now suffered five defeats on the bounce.

Club news, transfers and gossip: Aston Villa | Leicester

Escaping the drop zone is within touching distance but with Wolves' upturn in form, the two-point gap currently separating the sides could extend very soon.

Emery: Villa struggled but we needed the win

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery:

"I am glad because we needed those three points after the draw with Brighton. We are targeting the top eight.

"The league is very difficult, there are lots of teams performing very well.

"How we played and how we achieved it, of course we struggled. Leicester competed very well and defended very well. We didn't perform like we wanted but one reason was because they defended very well.

"After we scored one goal, we felt comfortable. We made a mistake with the goal we conceded. We reacted and scored. It was a difficult match, as we didn't create clear chances."

Van Nistelrooy: We have a foundation for points

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy:

"I repeat myself from last week. Good performance but through our own mistakes, we let two goals in.

"Standard situations we can handle better. In the Premier League, these situations are punished without blinking your eyes. That's the disappointing bit.

"We had good spells of possession, were calm on the ball and created good chances. A good, stable performance. In general there are a lot of positives but to get points in this league, it is the final details.

"I don't hold anything against my players and can only praise them for their efforts. It is a foundation for points but we need to realise how to handle it."

Is Bailey back?

Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe:

Bailey ending his run of 19 Premier League games without a goal could arrive at the perfect time.

As highlighted by Villa's interest in versatile Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen in the January transfer window, production off the right wing has been a problem this season.

After scoring 10 goals and adding nine assists in the top flight last season, expectations were high for Bailey heading into the current campaign.

It is safe to say he has not lived up to those lofty standards as of yet - but there have been positive signs across the last two outings.

His goal today can act as a well-needed confidence boost for the Jamaica winger, who could be crucial in firing his team up the table once again.

If Villa can get him back to even half the levels he displayed last season, contributions like today could be crucial come the end of the season.

Signs of survival for Leicester

Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe:

There were symptoms of fight in their battle for survival yet again from Leicester - but it is not enough.

Taking the lead against Liverpool, fighting until the bitter end against Manchester City and now conceding late to Villa.

It was a resilient performance from the Foxes but it is another game where they walk away empty handed.

Two early results against West Ham and Brighton kick-started the Van Nistelrooy era in impressive fashion but after seeing points dry up, despite their performances arguably improving, it is clear to see that reinforcements will be needed if they want to stand any chance of surviving.