'It's Primetime' - Key man urges Aston Villa to push on after Lille win
Leon Bailey has declared it is now “Primetime” in Villa’s season as he targets victory against West Ham on Sunday.
The winger believes Unai Emery’s men can use Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League win over Lille as a springboard for the rest of the campaign, starting with the visit of the Hammers.
Villa head into the match knowing a win will be enough to keep them in the Premier League’s top-four during the international break.
Bailey said: “Restoring momentum is very important for us. That is what we need.
“I think we can take Thursday’s game to do that and hopefully give an even better performance on Sunday.
“It is primetime. It is time to show up now. Every game matters. We know that.
“We weren’t in the best place but football is all about moments and momentum. I think we can push on from this.”
Thursday’s win, which completed a 3-0 aggregate triumph, was just Villa’s third in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
In the Premier League, they are winless in four and have seen what was once a comfortable cushion to their top-five rivals eroded.
Emery’s men have seen their form fluctuate drastically during the campaign. At one point, they equalled a club-record 11-match winning streak.
Bailey continued: “We know what we are capable of doing and how we can turn things around.
“That is never the problem. The problem is getting it together as fast as possible because we have no time now to do it.
“Hopefully we can take the confidence from Thursday’s game into the next one.
“Football and the Premier League in particular is difficult. Hopefully this can be the turnaround point for us, which would be great.”
Bailey scored his first goal in more than a year when he came off the bench to net Villa’s second late on against Lille.
But the 28-year-old, recalled from a season-long loan at Roma in January, says the performance was the most pleasing factor of the night.
“I would say it feels good to be back on the scoresheet but there are things more important than the goal I scored,” he said.
“I think the performance from the team is something which will do a lot for us, in terms of confidence, in terms of momentum and getting that feeling of chemistry in the way we are playing.
“I think today did that for us and was most important. I think we can take today’s match as a big boost of confidence, going into the game on Sunday. I am more grateful for that than the goal I scored.”
He went on: “Coming back (in January), it wasn't planned, but it happened and I wanted to come back as well.
“You can call it a bonus, but I would say, even when I was away, I've always considered myself a Villa player.
“So I think it's only right that I'm back here and whatever we achieve this season, I think I should be a part of it.”
