While Aston Villa rose to prominence this season, one leading criticism about the side was their form away from home. Heavy defeats to Newcastle United and Liverpool and a draw to Bournemouth were primary examples of the Midlands club proving critics right.
On Sunday, the Villans were just twenty minutes away from proving their title doubters correct yet again and were 1-0 down away at Brentford after Keane Lewis-Potter opened the scoring right on half-time. However, a red card to Ben Mee in the 71st minute changed the side's fortunes and Unai Emery's men went on to pick up all three points.
While the sending-off gave a massive helping hand in the eventual outcome of the game, one of Emery's tactical changes after the interval was just as instrumental – something he should well replicate against Sheffield United this evening.
Moussa Diaby's performance in numbers
Having not started any of the three Premier League games before Villa's bout at the Gtech Community Stadium, Moussa Diaby made a return to Emery's starting lineup. Nevertheless, by the hour mark, the manager may have regretted his decision.
It certainly wasn't Diaby's day. The Frenchman failed to create many chances and didn't have any clear-cut opportunities. Overall, Diaby had two shots on goal but these chances recorded a combined expected goals tally of merely 0.05.
Additionally, the £52m summer signing registered an expected assists total of 0.07 throughout the game, having made merely one successful cross, according to FotMob. Furthermore, the former Bayer Leverkusen man was handed a match rating of just 4/10 by Birmingham Live for his disappointing display.
What is worse is that star striker Ollie Watkins had merely one shot during Diaby's 65 minutes on the pitch yet managed to get himself on the scoresheet when his strike partner was replaced after the hour-mark, earning his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.
Leon Bailey's stats this season
Alongside the red card, the decision to take Diaby and Matty Cash off on Sunday helped turn the game in Villa's favour. January signing Jhon Duran and Leon Bailey came into the fray and helped steer the Villans to victory with an incredible turnaround.
Despite Villa spending big during the summer for Diaby, breaking the club's record transfer fee to bring the Frenchman to Villa Park from Leverkusen on £100k-per-week, Bailey has managed to keep his counterpart out of the starting lineup in recent times.
In the side's last four matches, he has recorded two assists and scored twice, including a memorable winning goal in a 1-0 home win over Manchester City a fortnight ago.
The Jamaica international came on in difficult circumstances last Sunday and managed to grab the assist 12 minutes later for Alex Moreno's equalising goal in the game that Villa went on to win 2-1.
The 26-year-old was far more efficient than Diaby despite only making a brief cameo. Throughout the game, Bailey created one big chance, which led to the first goal, completed 50% of his crosses and tallied an xA of 0.23 which was more than three times Diaby's amount, as per FotMob.
It's time that Emery has an honest conversation with his coaching staff about Diaby and Bailey. The latter boasts 15 goal contributions this season to the former's eight in all competitions and has been outperforming the club's record purchase in several key metrics.
Goals
0.53
0.24
Expected Goals
0.35
0.21
Assists
0.61
0.24
Expected Assists
0.38
0.27
Progressive Carries
4.73
3.70
Progressive Passes Received
10.8
7.99
Key Passes
2
1.82
Crosses To Penalty Area
0.45
0.45
Take-Ons Success Rate %
48.6
48.8
Crosses
4.04
1.77
Stats via FBref
Bailey had suffered a slight knock against Arsenal almost two weeks ago, hence why Emery threw Diaby back into the lineup. However, given the duo's current form, Bailey must be starting as the pair's performances are night and day this term, with journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray even describing his displays as "mesmerizing".
Villa supporters will likely see a lot more of Bailey in the starting lineup over the coming weeks, provided he can stay fit, including in tonight's meeting with Chris Wilder's Blades.
