Aston Villa suffered their second defeat of the week on Sunday, losing 2-1 to Manchester United at Villa Park, forcing Unai Emery to justify his choice to substitute Leon Bailey.
Aston Villa’s solid home record was stained once more on Sunday afternoon, as Manchester United won in the 86th minute to return three points to Old Trafford.
The Villans fell behind in the first half against Rasmus Hojlund after some dubious defending by the hosts, but Douglas Luiz equalised after an hour.
Unfortunately for the Midlands side, another lapse in defending allowed Scott McTominay to smash the winner past Emi Martinez with four minutes remaining, marking United’s second late triumph over Villa this season.
Despite certain defensive flaws being exposed, Unai Emery was questioned more about his attacking decisions after withdrawing Leon Bailey in the 73rd minute.
Unai Emery explains his choice to substitute Leon Bailey during the Aston Villa game.
Shortly after Luiz equalised for Villa, the hosts began to offer fans hope that they may turn the game around and reclaim the lead, as the attack put pressure on United’s defensive line.
Bailey provided a lot of Villa’s threat, with a 100% dribble success rate during the game and two vital passes from the flank to trouble Victor Lindelof, who struggled after replacing Luke Shaw at halftime.
With the opposition full-back struggling to contain the Jamaican attacker, the manager’s decision to pull the 26-year-old was poorly greeted.
When speaking to BirminghamWorld after the match, Emery explained his reason for hooking Bailey so prematurely.
“After the injury of Kamara, I decided to play Diaby with Bailey. Bailey he did a very big effort but when I was thinking to protect in the middle with Tielemans, I decided to play with Moussa on the right.”
Boubacar Kamara appeared to have received an injury to his knee during the game, prompting the manager to withdraw Bailey to compensate for the loss of midfield strength.
“This is a tactical move, and the manner we’re getting rid of Bailey is wonderful. Hopefully, he can keep progressing, remaining strong and getting healthier.”
Leon Bailey is one of Aston Villa’s main attacking threats.
Bailey took some time to establish himself in the starting lineup at the start of the season, having only appeared in 11 of Villa’s Premier League games thus far.
Despite a difficult start in terms of establishing himself as a starter, the Jamaica international has proven his worth by contributing seven goals and six assists thus far.
Under Emery, the winger has made significant progress, despite only scoring four goals last season and one in his Premier League debut in 2021/22.
The reaction to Bailey’s substitution was one of displeasure, but this just highlights the development the 26-year-old has made since moving to England in 2021.
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