LONDON, CMC – Jamaica international Leon Bailey netted a first-half goal and helped Aston Villa overcome Burnley 3-2 on Saturday, ensuring the club will end the year in the top three of the English Premier League.
The Reggae Boyz striker opened the scoring in the match with his sixth goal. Still, the hosts let Burnley twice come from behind before Douglas Luiz scored a late penalty to secure the win, despite the visitors being reduced to 10 players for the last 35 minutes of the contest at Villa Park.
The victory moves Villa onto 42 points in the Premier League standings and second behind Liverpool only on goal difference, with the leaders set to host Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.
Bailey fired the hosts ahead in front of the Holte End in the 29th minute when he collected a pass across the box from Ollie Watkins and beat Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford with a shot into the roof of the net after the ball took a wicked deflection.
The Villa lead lasted for only three minutes when Dara O’Shea headed a high free kick from the left back across the goal, and Zeki Amdouni acrobatically volleyed the ball into the net from close range.
Villa appeared under pressure when Burnley found the net again soon after, but the visitors had a strike from Lyle Foster ruled off-side.
The home team regained the lead in the 42nd minute when Watkins beat the off-side trap and teed up Moussa Diaby for a back post-tap-in.
Villa established more control of the match in the second half, especially after Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge got his second yellow card after 10 minutes of the period for pulling the jersey of Luiz, but they failed to make a flurry of four chances in two minutes count.
They were made to pay for their failure when Foster raced onto a flick-on and beat goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at the near post in the 71st minute.
Aaron Ramsey, a product of the Villa football academy, carelessly fouled substitute Jhon Duran in the box, and Luiz nervelessly sent the penalty kick off the crossbar’s underside.
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