Ross Barkley has had a superb start to life with Aston Villa since arriving on loan from Chelsea this summer.
The former England international joined Dean Smith’s side on a season-long loan deal as the transfer window came to a close.
Scoring on his debut in the Villans’ 7-2 win over champions Liverpool, the 26-year-old followed up that strike with a late winner against Leicester City.
Performing to a high standard, Barkley has managed to accrue himself a respectable average match rating of 7.49 out of 10 from WhoScored.com for his performances in a Villa shirt.
Barkley’s impressions in midfield have also seen him complete over 83% of his passes, whilst averaging 2.3 key passes per game. [WhoScored]
However, he is yet to get an assist for his teammates…
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Smith may well be hoping Barkley can add this important aspect to his game. Previously for Chelsea, the Liverpool-born midfielder has 40 assists from nearly 300 games in his senior career.
With his performances being at a high standard, many pundits have heaped praise on the former Everton man, who believes his move to Villa could see him given a chance in Gareth Southgate’s England side.
Failing to appear for the Three Lions since 2019, it could be that the added inclusion of assists to his game could accelerate an international recall.
Barkley has been a breath of fresh air so far at Villa Park, but if he can add assists to his game, the loan move may be one of the most impressive signings of the Premier League season.
