Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester: Leon Bailey's Late Goal Secures Victory for Unai Emery's Team

Leon Bailey opened his Premier League scoring account with a crucial goal to help Aston Villa secure a 2-1 victory over 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.

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.

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.

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