Marco Bizot may have sealed Leon Bailey’s Aston Villa exit after what happened vs Newcastle
Leon Bailey is likely to join a chorus of frustrated Aston Villa supporters after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Newcastle United.
Tammy Abraham finally announced his Villa Park return by scoring in the 14th minute, albeit the goal should have been ruled out for offside, but no VAR meant no lengthy checks.
All seemed like smooth sailing for the Villans until Marco Bizot was given his marching orders, coming flying out of his area to scythe down Jacob Murphy just before the half-time break.
Lucas Digne also could have been sent off just moments before, sliding into a reckless challenge on Murphy, but once again, without VAR, there was no review of his studs-up tackle.
Unai Emery was forced to think quickly after Marco Bizot’s moment of madness
Immediately, Unai Emery turned to his bench in panic, bringing Emi Martinez on for the remaining 45 minutes, despite clearly wanting to rest the Argentine in the FA Cup.
That did, however, come at the expense of Bailey, who had been given his first start since returning from a dismal loan spell at AS Roma in the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
With no goals and two assists in 11 appearances, fans have not seen the best of the Jamaican international since the 2023-24 season, but there is time for that to change before the summer.
At least, there was. Any chance of the out-of-form winger rediscovering himself at Villa Park appears have completely vanished, and he can thank the team’s second-choice goalkeeper for that.
Leon Bailey may have just run out of time at Villa Park
As already discussed, it was Bailey’s first start since returning early from his loan at Roma.
Rumours continue to swirl around just how much longer he has at the club, and had he been given the chance to impress against the Magpies, Emery might have wanted him to stick around longer.
After just 45 minutes, however, that opportunity had been stripped away from him, and it is difficult to see him getting proper minutes in the Premier League between now and the end of the season.
Once the summer transfer window rolls around, the 28-year-old is likely to be heavily linked with another exit. And given Villa’s financial troubles, it would not surprise anyone to see the club cash in.
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