Ross Barkley Reflects on Villa’s 2-1 Win Over Leicester City
Ross Barkley showcased his value to Aston Villa in their 2-1 victory over Leicester City, delivering a composed performance that included the game’s opening goal. Making only his third league start of the season, Barkley’s impact was crucial, and his post-match reflections offered insights into both Unai Emery’s half-time instructions and how the team view their home form.
“It felt like we needed to get another win. Important three points,” Barkley explained. “The manager said at half-time, we’ve experienced games like this last season, so just be patient, the chances will come. Keep pushing, and hopefully we’ll get the goals, and we did, so the plan worked.”
he averages a goal every 182 minutes, placing him third in Villa’s squad for goal-to-minutes ratio
Barkley’s Goal Efficiency
Barkley’s goal, his third in league play this season, underscores his efficiency as a goal-scorer despite limited opportunities. Across three starts and 13 substitute appearances, he averages a goal every 182 minutes, placing him third in Villa’s squad for goal-to-minutes ratio. He trails only Jhon Durán, who averages a goal every 85 minutes, and Ollie Watkins, who scores every 171 minutes. Barkley’s even surpasses Morgan Rogers’ rate of one goal every 261 minutes, showcasing his knack for making the most of his time on the pitch.
Reflecting on Leicester City’s disciplined performance, Barkley said, “A difficult side to come up against today, well drilled. But the most important thing, like I say, is to get the three points. Hopefully, we can build on that.”
Home as a Fortress
Aston Villa’s home form continues to be a defining aspect of their season, with the team suffering just one league defeat at Villa Park. That loss, against Arsenal, came in the campaign’s opening home fixture back in August. Since then, Villa have built a foundation with their home form, that while not as specular as their winning run that began last season, is keeping them in contention this season for the European places.
“It’s important to have our home [as] our fortress, to be able to maintain a strong home record, which we have done,” Barkley emphasised. “Obviously, a few results could have gone our way in draws we’ve had, but we’ve maintained the good form at home. That’ll help us throughout the season.”
Despite their decent record at Villa Park, Barkley acknowledged that Villa’s away performances need to improve.
“We just need to improve a bit on our away form and hopefully, at the end of the season, we’ll be right up there,” he added.
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The Road Ahead
While Villa’s home form has kept them in touch – just three points off the top five – their season has been plagued by missed opportunities. Late goals conceded in games like Bournemouth at Villa Park and away to Nottingham Forest have cost them valuable points. Without much extra effort, Villa could easily have been sitting in the top four.
With the focus switching to two crucial Champions League games this month and injuries to key players like Pau Torres and John McGinn, the team’s ability to dig out results in the league will be severely tested. As the season progresses, these performances will be vital not just for maintaining momentum but for ensuring Villa remains in contention for European places come the business end of the season.
UTV
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