Ross Barkley sees Aston Villa positives after Manchester United 'disappointment'
Ross Barkley believes disappointment at Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United demonstrated Villa’s greater expectations under Unai Emery.
Villa struggled to find attacking rhythm in what was their seventh match in 22 days but Barkley, who described the result as two points lost, refused to blame the performance on tiredness.
The midfielder, handed his first Premier League start since joining in a £5million switch from Luton in the summer, also dismissed suggestions of a mental hangover from last week’s emotional Champions League win over Bayern Munich.
He said: “It felt like two points lost rather than one gained because of how good we are now.
“From the performance we put in in midweek and the points we’ve been putting on the board, we really wanted to take them today. The clean sheet is a positive."
Emery has constantly declared the Premier League to be Villa's main priority as they look to repeat last season's top-four finish. Sunday's result and the previous weekend's draw at Ipswich both felt missed opportunities.
