Ross Barkley set for run in Aston Villa team after Man United loss – here’s why
Ross Barkley scored against Man United as Aston Villa’s miserable run in the Premier League continued at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Unai Emery‘s side have now lost three-straight Premier League games after suffering a 3-1 loss to Man United on Sunday, with their last top-flight win coming against Brighton on 11 February.
As such, Aston Villa‘s hopes of finishing inside the top four are weakening with each passing game, as those around them begin to close in.
However, it wasn’t all negatives for the Villans at the Theatre of Dreams, as Barkley came out of the match with his head held high, and a point having been made to Emery.
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Ross Barkley was excellent for Aston Villa vs Man United
Having missed a large portion of the season through injury, Barkley was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI against United on Sunday.
Indeed, it marked his first Premier League start of the campaign too, with the 32-year-old now moving to 13 league outings on the season so far.
He capped it with a well-taken left-footed strike to level up the game at 1-1 on 64 minutes too, but unfortunately, goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko ensured it wouldn’t be good enough to win a point on the day.
Regardless, the veteran midfielder was undoubtedly Villa’s best at Old Trafford, and sent a very clear message to Emery that he should continue to be named in the lineup moving forward.
As per Sofascore, Barkley completed 54 of his 60 pass attempts successfully, took 73 touches with only one unsuccessful touch and made 23 carries with the ball.
He also won all four of his tackle attempts, five of his six ground duels, one of his two aerial duels and made six recoveries too.
Barkley was absolutely everywhere for Villa against United, and was at the heart of everything Emery’s side did well, as he most certainly did not look like a player who is not long back from a serious knee injury.
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Barkley made a strong case for new Aston Villa contract
However, if Aston Villa wish to keep enjoying more performances from Barkley such as the one they saw on Sunday, then they’re going to need to take contract action soon.
Indeed, Barkley’s current deal is set to expire this summer, meaning he’s heading for the free agent market as things stand.
Now, his long and well-documented injury problems from throughout his career will likely be a sticking point for Villa, as Emery – as this season has shown – needs players he can rely upon to stay fit.
Barkley isn’t in that category, but he’s also proving that the engine warning light isn’t on yet, and that he’s still capable of performing to an exceptionally high level in the Premier League.
It’s a tough call, and that’s precisely why Emery should look to keep Barkley in the team between now and the end of the season, so that Villa Park decision-makers have a big enough sample size to work with when it comes to making a contract decision this summer.
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