Leon Bailey was named on the bench in Aston Villa’s EFL Cup win over Bolton Wanderers but was introduced in the second half and wrapped up the scoring with a well-taken solo goal.
The 25-year-old picked up the ball on the right flank, ran at his marker and cut inside to work an opening before coolly side-footing an effort into the bottom corner.
Bailey has now scored one goal with one assist from four games in all competitions and is enjoying a much brighter start to the season than in 2021/22.
Steven Gerrard’s men welcome West Ham United to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon and Bailey is sure to start. The Jamaican international has started two of Villa’s three Premier League games this season and will be an important attacking threat as the Midlands outfit have been short of goals.
After a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, 2-1 win over Everton and 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, Villa have conceded twice as many goals as they’ve scored. And although they had an early scare against Bolton, it should boost the team’s confidence to score four goals in a game.
In other news, Steven Gerrard may need Calum Chambers upgrade after Bolton performance
