Jamaican winger Leon Bailey scored one goal and assisted another as Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-2 in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Villa opened up a five-point lead over Tottenham in the battle for a top-four finish despite a wobble either side of half-time against Forest.

Unai Emery’s men were coasting towards a first home win of 2024 as they led 3-0 inside 39 minutes.

Ollie Watkins tapped in Bailey’s cross after just four minutes before Douglas Luiz struck twice.

Forest remain just four points above the relegation zone and reacted too late to help their survival hopes.

Moussa Niakhate pulled a goal back deep into first-half stoppage time before Morgan Gibbs-White’s delightful dink cut Forest’s deficit to one just three minutes into the second period.

However, Villa quickly restored their two-goal cushion when Bailey tapped in after Watkins’ initial effort was saved. It was Bailey’s 12th goal of the season.

“We played a really fantastic match in the first half and only the first 15 minutes of the second half we had some doubts, but we stayed calm and reacted well,” said Emery.
– AFP