Unai Emery has transformed Leon Bailey into a Premier League force by removing him from his Aston Villa comfort zone, and Diego Carlos has issued a warning to Arsenal ahead of their encounter.
Arsenal has been cautioned by Diego Carlos: “You don’t scare us.”
Aston Villa’s powerful defender praised Unai Emery’s work after the club leapfrogged Manchester City into third place with a 1-0 win at Villa Park on Wednesday night. And the defender, who has been plagued by long-term injury issues since joining at the start of the previous season, put in a tenacious effort to keep Erling Haaland and co at bay.
As Villa dominated, Pep Guardiola’s star striker was the only one to have an effort on goal – two in the first ten minutes. And Carlos has told Arsenal, who visit Villa Park on Saturday evening, that Villa fear no one.
“That performance against Manchester City was very, very good,” he said. We’re confident, and we’re not afraid as players. The coach wants each player to be comfortable with the ball and their position.
“We work well together. Unai enhanced both the team and the players from the first day he arrived. We are now in a terrific position in the table, but our season is not over. There are still more games to be played.
“It’s critical to remain grounded and humble. This is the most essential thing to me. We respect any squad we face, but we’re not afraid of them.”
One of Villa’s season highlights has been Emery’s transformation of Leon Bailey into a Premier League force by pushing him out of his Villa Park comfort zone. The Spaniard has explained how a heart-to-heart conversation with the Jamaica international changed the 26-year-old into a force to be reckoned with.
Bailey scored his eighth goal of the season with a deflected strike against Manchester City in Villa’s 1-0 triumph. But his entire performance was his best in a claret shirt, as his sprinting with the ball caused all sorts of issues for Guardiola’s backline.
Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery will meet again on the touchline this weekend
Bailey, signed by Villa for £25 million from Bayer Leverkusen two and a half years ago, has frequently faced criticism for his inconsistent performances, with neither Dean Smith nor Steven Gerrard achieving results comparable to Emery’s impact.
Gerrard stated, “When I initially assessed the players upon joining the club, I collected information and later conducted individual meetings. Leon Bailey was one of them, possessing incredible potential. However, there were noticeable disparities in his performances, especially between home and away matches.”
“He demonstrated humility by listening and understanding our suggestions for improvement. Recently, he scored his first away goal for Villa in the Premier League against Bournemouth. This serves as an example of his progress. Identifying and addressing the inconsistency in his away performances was crucial, and he has accepted the challenge. His current displays are consistently strong at home and notably improved away.”
you may like>>> JUST IN: Ange Postecoglou’s Explosive Remarks on Tottenham’s Loss to West Ham and Sons Injury Saga
