CHELSEA fans have hailed their loanee ‘agent’ Ross Barkley as he and his fellow midfielders toyed with Arsenal during Aston Villa’s incredible 3-0 win.
One particular video that has gone viral on social media shows Barkley and Jack Grealish having some fun in the build-up to Bukayo Saka’s own goal.
Barkley duels with Rob Holding with the Arsenal defence struggling to handle himCredit: Getty – Pool
Barkley and Grealish play a game of cat and mouse on the edge of the box before the opening goalCredit: Twitter@mistakesbykepa
The Gunners fail to retrieve the ball as the patient Villa playmakers probe for a way through Credit: Twitter@mistakesbykepa
The defender’s misfortune was followed up by two from Ollie Watkins as Villa once again snatched the headlines and wowed onlookers by dismantling a top side.
Blues fans were particularly gleeful as not only did they watch their London rivals get humiliated, they could enjoy their on-loan midfielder Barkley alongside Grealish running the show.
Their confident passing move before the opening goal summed up the away side’s imperious performance.
Barkley toyed with the Gunners defence, dangling his foot over the ball but refusing to commit to any action against the hesitant opposition players.
He then back-heeled it to Grealish, who also began showing off his skill and ball control.
It was all topped off by a sublime no-look pass by Barkley as he slid in Matt Targett, whose cross was turned home accidentally by Saka.
Barkley was saluted by Chelsea supporters and other fans for doing damage to a rival in the most embarrassing way possible.
One wrote on Twitter that ‘agent Willian and Barkley are on a mission’, taking a dig at another former Blues star who has flattered to deceive so far at the Emirates.
A cheeky backheel by Barkley was one of the highlights of the move Credit: Twitter@mistakesbykepa
Others compared the performance of Barkley and Grealish as similar to Barcelona legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi at their prime.
And another person joked that the pair’s ease in messing with Arsenal was like watching video game FIFA Street.
The performance of Barkley rekindled calls from his manager Dean Smith to get him back in the England squad.
He said: “Good players, they can play with each other very quickly – they don’t need time to work each other out.
“We are seeing that with Jack and Ross, both technically gifted footballers but have the work rate as well.
“Ross was a marquee signing for us, he wanted to get game time to get in the Euro squad. His performances will be nudging Gareth Southgate.”
The win is just the latest surprise Villa have pulled out the bag this season.
They destroyed Liverpool 7-2 before the previous international break and also managed to win at Leicester thanks to a late goal from Barkley.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
