Birmingham World reporter Charlie Haffenden's reaction to Aston Villa's narrow 2-1 Premier League victory over Leicester City at Villa Park, courtesy of goals from Ross Barkley and Leon Bailey.
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00:00Aston Villa have kicked off 2025 with a victory here at Villa Park. 2-1 over the newly promoted
00:07Leicester City, but it was far from convincing by Unai Emery's men. The first half, definitely
00:12one to forget, just three shots between the two teams, one on target, Matty Cash stinging
00:18the gloves of Leicester's goalkeeper. Other than that, a spectre of effort from El Cano,
00:22Celeste Winger and Ollie Watkins had one blocked early on. Really, really poor in our first
00:28half. We all go in, trying to get some warmth on this very cold January afternoon, thinking
00:33what on earth is the point of that half of football. But then, after the interval, the
00:37ante certainly upped. Villa looked a little bit better on the ball, had a bit more energy.
00:43Leon Bailey seemed to improve in that first half, he just kept running into trouble every
00:47time he got the ball, but this time he was looking better. Ross Barkley's passes had
00:51a bit more oomph. Boubacar Kamara seems to come to life as well at the base of midfield
00:55and then Barkley, the man who came in for a fairly surprised start, he's not been in
00:59Emery's XI's very often this season, he was the one to open the scoring. And a great finish
01:03as well. Now, Luka Dean's cross was headed out by Yannick Vestergaard, but only as far
01:08as Barkley, who took a great touch and then leathered it into the bottom left-hand corner.
01:12A really superb finish from him. Villa Park couldn't celebrate for long though, as Steffi
01:16Mavadidi, who had a decent chance just a couple of minutes into the half but missed, managed
01:21to make amends, this time somehow squeezing it in between the legs of Matic Cash at the
01:26far post. Emi Martino's made a great save to deny Jamie Vardy, but the rebound went
01:31to Mavadidi, he was the quickest to react, had to move across, clever movement before
01:35putting the ball into the net. It seemed as if the game was going to come to a very frustrating
01:40end for Villa, two points dropped against a newly promoted opposition, but Leon Bailey
01:45had other ideas. The man who I said in the first half was really poor and uninspiring,
01:50came into life a little bit at the start of the second period, then got his goal. His
01:54first of the season, the long-awaited first. I was just writing my report that the wait
02:00for the first goal continues, but he managed to get it. It was a fairly easy finish, having
02:05to tap home from about five, maybe ten yards, but a finish nonetheless. You have to get
02:09the ball back in the net in those situations, especially under pressure, especially when
02:13you've got it looming over you but you haven't scored yet this season. Well, the Jamaican
02:17now has a very important goal as well, earning his team an extra couple of points. Most of
02:22the credit, though, I think for that goal has to go to Ian Mattson and also Unai Emery,
02:26who brought on Mattson and made an instant impact. He'd just come on to the pitch, nearly
02:3130 seconds or maybe even less before Bailey's goal. Mattson intercepts a poor pass out from
02:37the back from Leicester, Ayoub just wasn't aware enough. Mattson zipped onto the ball,
02:42played a clever one-two with Jacob Ramsey and then got to the by-line and cut it back
02:46for Bailey. A really clever pass and effectively won Villa the game, that substitution and
02:51that one phase of play. At the end Leicester tried to push on to get another equaliser
02:56but they couldn't do so and Emery's men kick on with all three points. Now up to eighth
03:01in the Premier League, above Fulham, still a little way away from the Chambers League
03:05places but something to build on here at Villa Park.