Aston Villa should axe Ross Barkley vs Tottenham, new data shows why
Ross Barkley cannot play in Aston Villa’s upcoming trip to Tottenham Hotspur after his last diabolical performance against the club.
The midfielder has been extremely hit-and-miss so far this season, but put in his best display to date on Wednesday as he scored once and picked up an assist in the 3-1 victory over Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.
However, this performance should not convince Unai Emery to keep the 32-year-old in the line-up.
In the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham at Villa Park in May, Barkley was arguably the worst player on the pitch in the defeat.
The midfielder started the match and did little right until he was taken off after 85 minutes.
Now, Emery should not repeat the same mistake again, and ensure that he is not in the line-up for the Spurs match.
How bad was Ross Barkley vs Tottenham?
In the last meeting, Barkley was simply horrific against Tottenham.
According to Fotmob on 18 September, he completed 83 per cent of his passes, created one chance, failed to complete his one attempted dribble, was dispossessed five times, only made four defensive contributions and lost all nine of his ground duels.
As a result, he was a key reason why Villa lost the game as Spurs dominated the clash at Villa Park.
Therefore, it is obvious that Barkley should not play a part against Tottenham on the weekend.
The midfielder is clearly incapable of performing against the North London club, and given his recent displays, he probably shouldn’t be starting anyway.
What is Villa’s recent record vs Tottenham?
Aston Villa have an excellent recent record against Tottenham.
In their last five meetings, Villa have won four of them, with Spurs winning their last clash.
On top of this, Villa have won four of their last five trips to the North London club, with their last defeat coming in 2024.
Therefore, the Birmingham outfit may well be the favourites for the clash, with Spurs also having a horrific start to the season.
However, it remains to be seen who will come out on top in the Premier League fixture, as both sides look to get their first win in the division this campaign.