Aston Villa take on a struggling Manchester United side in the Premier League this afternoon, giving them an ideal chance to head into the international break with yet another three points.
Unai Emery will still be buoyed by the performance of his team in midweek to seal a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Given the fairly sharp turnaround in games, could there be several changes to the team?
Leon Bailey may have to rely on making an appearance from the bench against the Red Devils given his poor form this campaign.
Leon Bailey’s season in numbers for Aston Villa
Last season, the winger scored 14 times and grabbed 14 assists for Villa as he became one of the key attacking threats in Emery’s side.
So far this term, Bailey has registered just one assist across all competitions, struggling to replicate the performances from 2023/24 which brought the supporters so much joy.
Metric
Premier League
Conference League
Goals
10
2
Assists
9
4
Big chances created
12
2
Key passes per game
1.5
1.2
Successful dribbles per game
1.6
2.2
The Jamaican has created two big chances in the Premier League, along with averaging one key pass and succeeding with 57% of his dribbles, yet he is failing to have much luck in front of goal, averaging only 0.2 shots on target per game.
Against Bayern, summer signing Jaden Philogene took his place on the right wing and performed admirably. This suggests he could retain his place in the starting XI for the clash against the Old Trafford side this afternoon.
Emery must keep faith with Jaden Philogene
The Englishman was brought back to Villa Park in the summer having spent a year at Hull City, where he registered 18 goal contributions for the club.
It looked like a shrewd move to bring him back to Villa Park, and he has played five times this season under Emery, including against Bayern in midweek.
Deployed on the right flank, Philogene delivered an assured display against the German giants. Not only did he succeed with 100% of his dribbles, but the winger also won 8 of his 13 ground duels, while making five tackles and three interceptions during the clash.
He clearly wasn’t fazed by taking on one of the best teams in Europe, and this experience will stand him in good stead for the future.
His former boss at Hull, Liam Rosenior, dubbed the youngster as a “special talent” during his spell in charge of the club, where his performances deservedly earned him a move back to Villa.
Given Bailey’s drop-off in form, it is certainly worth keeping Philogene in the starting XI for the match this afternoon, as the 22-year-old offers something different going forward, while also being able to contribute defensively, as shown against Bayern.
A win would see Emery and his side enter the international break potentially entering the top four depending on other results, which is surely a huge incentive for the club.
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