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Roberto Martinez hails Aston Villa star who proved he’s a ‘Champions League level’ player vs RB Leipzig

Mitchell Tapner

Wed 11 December 2024 13:45, UK

Aston Villa continued their winning momentum in the Champions League following a dramatic 2-3 win over RB Leipzig.

Despite their contrast in form domestically, Aston Villa🐠 are proving doubters wrong in Europe, nearing a place in the Champions League knockout stages.

Unai Emery very much has Ross Barkley to thank for providing the winner late on, despite Jhon Duran’s beauty earlier in the game being cancelled out.

♏One pundit in particular who was present at the match, was quick to praise the quality on display from one of Villa’s key stars.

Roberto Martinez praises ‘talented’ Aston Villa star Ross Barkley

Speaking on Amazon Prime’s coverage of RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa, Barkley’s former manager Roberto Martinez꧒ applauded the ability of the Englishman, stating: “If you give Ross Barkley space on the edge of the box, then eight or nine times out of 10 he will hit the target.

⭕“I coached him as a young boy and he was always talented but now he is showing his consistency. He is showing he is a Champions League-level player.”

The former Chelsea midfielder coming on as a substitute proved to be the right call, much to the relief of Unai Emeryꦏ who has become accustomed to bringing Barkley on in the latter stages of games.

🅠Against RB Leipzig, Barkley recorded a 100% success rate in duels, provided two passes into the final third, and had 10 touches [].

♔This highlights the emphasis of Villa focusing their play down the 31-year-old after coming on the pitch, a tweak that very much paid off for Emery.

Ross Barkley’s performance vs RB Leipzig will catch Unai Emery’s attention

Barkley has shown to possess the technical quality in possession to create chances, whilst proving to be a goalscoring threat late on in games. To possess a player of Barkley’s quality, Emery may well be debating whether the former Evertonian deserves to start, should the form of Youri Tielemans continue to drop off.

🌺Despite facing limited game time at the Midlands club so far, Barkley has proved to be a valuable asset coming off the bench.

൩Whether it be his ball playing ability or his quality in the final third – the stats above suggest Emery may have some thinking to do when picking his next midfield lineup.