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The Premier League have officially confirmed that they are in legal dispute with Newcastle United over the failed Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Reuben Brothers and PCP Capital Partners takeover of the club.

The three interested parties pulled out of the controversial buyout back in July, after talks had stalled over rows concerning the Saudi’s links with pirate bay television provider beoutQ.

The ‘unforeseeably prolonged process’ eventually culminated in a withdrawn bid.

The fallout of Newcastle’s failed takeover, however, has been embroiled in further controversy, with the Premier League confirming in a letter to the Newcastle Consortium Supporters that they’re currently in a legal dispute with Mike Ashley & co.

And allegedly, that represents a breach of the club’s confidentiality on behalf of the Premier League, with both said to be bound by privacy on the matter now that the case is actually running.

A statement read (via The Shields Gazette): “The Newcastle Consortium Supporters has received a reply from the Premier League’s lawyers, Bird & Bird, that has confirmed that the club is currently in a legal dispute with the Premier League regarding the proposed acquisition, which may lead to a duplication of the issues raised by the fans consortium.

“The Premier League have said it would therefore be premature for us to bring our claim now. However, the Premier League have not said who is to determine these proceedings, nor when they will be determined. We, the fans, feel we have a right to know and to be kept informed.”

The Premier League today issued a nine-page, ‘substantive’ Newcastle United takeover response to NCSL’s anti-competition law legal claims.

It is understood NCSL have reiterated their pledge to plough on towards court action.

The source received a ‘no comment’ response from the governing body when queried on the matter.

It seems this certainly isn’t the last we’ve heard on the matter after the summer’s controversial failed takeover.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang documented his ordeal while stuck inside an airport on Sunday night as his Gabon side travelled to face Gambia.

The Arsenal striker and his teammates arrived in Gambia on Sunday night ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier but were apparently left waiting in the airport by staff. Some players were left to sleep on the floor and even had their passports confiscated despite proving they had passed Covid-19 tests.

After initially arriving at 23:30 it wasn’t until 06:00 on Monday that the team were allowed entry into the country. Their game against Gambia kicked off just ten hours later, with preparations surely disturbed by such a lengthy delay.

Aubameyang made clear his frustration over the wait on his Instagram story and Twitter in the early hours, posting pictures of himself and his teammates waiting around.

In one post Aubameyang claimed he was made to feel like a ‘hostage’ while he slammed the Confederation of Africa (CAF) for the poor organisation that lead to the ordeal.

In a message to CAF he wrote: “Just want to know why Gambia keep our passports for hours and they keep us at the airport are we hostage or what? Are you gonna close your eyes?”

At 6:00 am Aubameyang finally let his fans know that he and his teammates were on the bus and on their way out of the airport, thanking staff for ‘the extra motivation’ ahead of the qualifier.

However, Gabon went on to lose the controversial fixture 2-1, while Aubameyang did not get on the scoresheet.

As reported by the Telegraph, the Gambia Football Federation has claimed ‘complications’ at the airport over Covid-19 testing as the reason for the delay, while CAF has stepped in to launch an investigation into the issue.

On Sunday evening, England lost 2-0 to Belgium with their chances of winning that most illustrious of competitions, the UEFA Nations League, going up in flames as a result.

As with every England defeat, media hysteria is likely to follow. Some of the more unhinged Three Lions followers did not even wait for the game to be done, calling for Southgate’s head at half time. However, was it really that bad?

The result itself was negative, for sure. The back three’s comical attempts to play around the Belgian press was also pretty tragic, as was the depressing lack of pace in the front line. The midfield was pretty sterile as well, and why Mason Mount felt the need to keep coming inside instead of trying his luck against Thorgan Hazard – a man with next to no experience at wing-back – was a mystery.

Aside from all of that, there were a few reasons to be a cheerful after a game that did not provide the best indication of where England are as a group.

First, a quick note of the two goals, both of which England can count themselves somewhat unlucky to concede. For the Red Devils’ first strike, scored by the fantastic Youri Tielamans, only a wicked deflection saw it slip past the outstretched but still rather short arms of Jordan Pickford.

However, this must be tempered by the fact that Tielemans would never have had the chance in the first place if Eric Dier hadn’t played a hospital pass several seconds beforehand. As for Belgium’s second – a fine free kick from Dries Mertens – Declan Rice can count himself unfortunate to have been penalised for what looked like a fair tackle on Kevin De Bruyne.

After going 2-0 down, Southgate’s charges were always going to be up against it. The Red Devils only conceded three times in Euro 2020 qualifying, the joint best record alongside Turkey, and have let in just four goals in the Nations League.

Despite the tough task that awaited them, the Three Lions responded fairly well in the first half. A neat exchange down the right hand side nearly resulted in Jack Grealish turning in Kieran Trippier’s cross, while Harry Kane also had a brilliant header cleared off the line. All in all, England had seven attempts before the break – the most they have recorded in any Nations League game so far.

They were also more than holding their own in other areas. They had won more aerial duels than their opponents, had more possession and also completed more tackles.

However, in the second period, Southgate’s lack of bravery ended up costing his side.

Prior to the game, we pontificated that the 50-year-old’s reign was starting to feel begrudgingly familiar. Negative tactics, favouritism towards certain players and a grinding sense that England are just ‘going through the motions’ are all accusations that have been levelled at Southgate in recent times.

Things like replacing a static Jordan Henderson for an even safer Harry Winks at half time of a ‘win or bust’ fixture do little to address the former concern among supporters. Neither is persisting with an anonymous Mason Mount, when one of the most productive forwards in European football last season sits on the bench, likely to relax fears of favouritism.

Phil Foden’s curious omission will also not convince Southgate’s doubters that he’s the man to bring the sexy football show to Euro 2021 – also known as Euro 2020 to UEFA’s marketing team – in the summer.

England’s Wednesday night game against Iceland is now an important moment for Southgate to address some of these qualms. On paper, his squad is leaps and bounds ahead and a more dynamic, braver tactical set-up is needed to get the fans back on side.

We may not have the Premier League or Europe’s heavyweights to keep us company this weekend, but Saturday’s Nations League offering has more than made up for it with a wonderfully entertaining evening of action.

There was plenty at stake on this pulsating night across Europe, with top spots, relegation places and the in-betweeners all still to be decided. On top of that, we were treated to the continent’s powerhouses going head to head, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal entertaining France, while Germany and Spain were also in action.

So, how did they all get on? Check out our Nations League roundup below.

The big news from League A Group 3 was that France defeated holders Portugal 1-0 in Lisbon, simultaneously booking their place in the final four of the competition, and ending the hosts’ incredible two year and 20-game unbeaten streak.

The two European giants played out an entertaining affair, with both sides creating plenty of chances, but we had to wait until the second half for the deadlock to be broken. That strike came from the unlikeliest of sources, as Chelsea’s goal-shy midfielder N’Golo Kanté was on hand to tap home his second ever goal for the French national side.

Portugal pushed to level the scores but ultimately came up short, meaning France cannot be surpassed at the top of the group.

Elsewhere in Group 3, Sweden picked up their first points of this year’s Nations League, defeating World Cup finalists Croatia 2-1 in Stockholm. Juventus star Dejan Kulusevski opened the scoring with a wonderful slaloming run and cool strike, before Marcus Danielsson doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time.

But it was the centre-back who gave Croatia a shred of hope, scoring an own goal to set up a nervy final eight minutes. The hosts held on to go level on points with their opponents in the group as they aim to avoid relegation.

In League A Group 4, Sergio Ramos had an absolute nightmare in his European record-setting 177th cap as Spain laboured to a 1-1 draw with Switzerland. Remo Frueler put the hosts ahead on 26 minutes, but Spain’s captain was handed the chance to level proceedings TWICE from the penalty spot, but he managed to miss both of his spot kicks. It was the first time Ramos had failed to convert from 12 yards in 25 attempts. You wait for one bus, eh…

Luckily for the Real Madrid star, Gerard Moreno was on hand to score a last-minute equaliser for Luis Enrique’s side, keeping them within touching distance of group leaders Germany.

Joachim Low’s side saw off Ukraine 3-1 in their clash, but they had to come from behind to do so on Saturday night. Roman Yaremchuk shocked the hosts with a 12th-minute strike, but ex-Manchester City star Leroy Sane levelled matters 10 minutes later.

Chelsea forward TImo Werner then put the game beyond the visitors with goals either side of half time, leaving Germany in a commanding position in the table.

There were victories for Cyprus and Malta over Luxembourg and Andorra respectively, while Latvia and the Faroe Islands drew 1-1, along with a goalless draw between Azerbaijan and Montenegro.

And finally, San Marino earned their second point of the Nations League, holding Gibraltar to a 0-0 draw in what was undoubtedly an absolute thriller.

Despite having already qualified for next year’s European Under-21 Championships, England kept their foot on the gas pedal with a 3-1 victory over Andorra at Molineux.

Aidy Boothroyd’s charges came into the game with three wins and a draw to their name – with their only dropped points coming in October’s surprise 3-3 draw with Friday’s opponents – and the Young Lions took the opportunity to exact some revenge.

A dominant England took the lead after 27 minutes as Liverpool’s Curtis Jones fired home from close range following a cross from Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi, but Andorra snatched a way back into the game shortly before the break when Conor Gallagher gave away a penalty which Christian Garcia tucked home. The effort was Andorra’s only shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

It didn’t take England long to get their lead back. Four minutes after the interval, Watford’s Ben Wilmot rose highest and snuck in front of the goalkeeper to head home from a Dwight McNeil corner.

Any hopes of another Andorran comeback were extinguished shortly after the hour mark after Sheffield United’s Rhian Brewster was hauled down in the penalty area. Hudson-Odoi stepped up to convert the ensuing penalty, capping off a fine individual performance with a much-deserved goal.

With the result now a formality, Boothroyd took the opportunity to hand out a couple of debuts to some of his new faces. Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, who is also eligible to represent Germany, was introduced midway through the half, with Derby County left-back Lee Buchanan also earning his first cap late on.

Next up for England’s Young Lions is a meeting with Albania on Tuesday, with Boothroyd’s side overwhelming favourites to keep their good form going.

Northern Ireland came up short in their bid to qualify for Euro 2020 as Michal Duris’ strike in extra time booked Slovakia’s place at next summer’s tournament.

The hosts started brightly but were undone when Jonny Evans failed to control George Saville’s header downwards, allowing Juraj Kucka to put the visitors ahead early on. However, Northern Ireland drew level when Milan Skriniar turned into his own net in the 87th minute.

Michal Duris grabbed the winner in extra time, profiting from a lucky deflection to fire past Bailey Peacock-Farrell and in.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell (GK) – 6/10 – Was nearly caught out when claiming a cross from a corner but was able to recover. Should have done better with Slovakia’s second.

Stuart Dallas (RB) – 8/10 – Got forward very well during the first half and soldiered on after injuring his arm in a clash with Tomas Hubocan.

Craig Cathcart (CB) – 6/10 – Played some good incisive passes forward in the second half and helped break the lines. Grew into the game at the side of Evans and helped keep Ondrej Duda at bay.

Jonny Evans (CB) – 6/10 – His failure to collect Saville’s header let Kucka through on goal. Looked solid afterwards before a deflection off him helped Slovakia take the lead.

Jamal Lewis (LB) – 6/10 – Had a steady game and kept hold of the ball well. Got down the left wing more and more as the game progressed.

Paddy McNair (CM) – 8/10 – Looked lively in the second half and ran himself into the ground. Was the creative spark for Ireland before going off injured.

Steven Davis (CM) – 7/10 – Some great balls over the top in the first half and was always keen to play forward whenever he was in possession.

George Saville (CM) – 6/10 – His poor header put Evans under pressure and his only shot of the game went wide.

Niall McGinn (RW) – 8/10 – Nearly scored from a cross in the first half and put plenty of quality balls into the box.

Conor Washington (ST) – 6/10 – Looked lively in the first half and put the centre backs under pressure with his constant running. Struck a volley straight at the keeper.

Josh Magennis (LW) – 6/10 – Put himself about but struggled to make any progress on the left and was reduced to feeding off scraps.

Gavin Whyte – 5/10

Jordan Thompson – 5/10

Kyle Lafferty – 7/10

Liam Boyce – 4/10

Tom Flanagan – N/A

Shane Ferguson – N/A

Is Spain versus the Netherlands really the illustrious international fixture it once was if a 33-year-old Ryan Babel is brought on as a 79th minute substitute?

The introduction of the former Liverpool man 11 minutes for time somewhat summed up proceedings in Wednesday’s clash between two traditional giants of European football, which could not have been more of a behind closed doors international friendly if it tried.

Netherlands versus Spain was billed as the headline act on the international break that nobody wanted.

It is a fixture that radiates international gravitas.

Spain – the former world champions who Tiki-taka-ed their way to world domination in the space of four remarkable years with Andres Iniesta, Xavi, David Villa and co.

The Netherlands – Total Football, Johan Cruyff, the infectiously fun side from Euro 2008, Arjen Robben, Wesley Schneider, Robin van Persie.

But reputation can come before a team, particularly in international football. This is a Dutch side who failed to qualify for the last two major tournaments and are currently managed by Crystal Palace’s finest Frank de Boer.

Spain and Holland produced a drab 1-1 draw in Amsterdam on Wednesday evening. It was not the most underwhelming match the pair had ever put on – 2010’s World Cup final where the Dutch attempted to take chunks out of Spain for 120 minutes is the clear winner on that front – but it was not the football feast fans would come to expect from a game featuring two of European football’s traditional powerhouses.

While playing behind closed doors has largely resulted in utter chaos and carnage in the Premier League – a 7-2 here, a 6-1 there – with players playing with a freedom and without inhibition, the lack of crowd appeared to suck any intensity out of Wednesday’s clash.

Spain were much the better team in the first half and sliced the Netherlands open with a couple of flowing moves from the back, one of which resulted in Sergio Canales opening the scoring following Alvaro Morata’s perfectly weighted through ball.

But there was still a lack of zip in the final third. Spain should have been home and dry after their first half dominance, but De Boer made four changes at the break and the Netherlands went on to enjoy the better of the second 45.

The Dutch were level after 47 minutes as Spain failed to deal with Owen Wijndal’s cross from the left and Donny van de Beek was on hand to hammer the ball home.

Much like Spain in the first half, the Dutch dominated the second 45 but failed to add a second goal. There was no urgency as both Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay dithered in front of goal instead of striking the ball first time when presented with golden opportunities.

Super sub Babel failed to have the devastating impact that he had been brought on to deliver, as the game petered out.

The officials couldn’t even be bothered to add on any extra time despite the seven second half substitutes and fans were left wondering – as they likely will throughout most of this international break – whether it was all really worth it.

Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon has noticed a distinct change in Gareth Bale’s demeanour since he returned to north London in the summer.

The Spaniard joined Spurs almost simultaneously with the Welshman from Real Madrid in September and has enjoyed a flying start to life in the Premier League, emerging as a fan favourite among the Lilywhites faithful.

Bale, though, has enjoyed a fairly mundane understated start to 2020/21 as Jose Mourinho continues to manage his minutes smartly in a bid to get the 31-year-old up to full fitness as swiftly as possible.

The Tottenham hero scored his first Premier League goal since his return in the 2-1 victory over Brighton earlier this month – which was assisted by Reguilon – and was handed his first league start of the campaign by Mourinho in Sunday’s slender 1-0 victory at West Brom.

Despite his relatively quiet on-pitch start to the campaign, Reguilon – who played 22 times for Los Blancos before his summer switch – has described Bale as ‘happier’ following his return to N17, with the Welshman serving as a translator for the 23-year-old.

“The fundamental part has been the language. Gareth talks to all his team-mates here. In Madrid, he was more afraid of failing with the language. The change has been very positive for him,” Reguilon said in an interview with El Chiringuito (via Marca).

“Bale sometimes even acts as a translator for some specific things. He is much more comfortable speaking English with all his colleagues, it shows a lot. I see him happier, comfortable in a team.”

The Welshman had fallen significantly out of favour with Real boss Zinedine Zidane by the time he deaprted the club in the summer and throughout his seven-year stay in the Spanish capital, he was subject to plenty of criticism for supposedly not learning the language following his 2013 move.

Although, several former Real teammates, including Luka Modric, backed Bale, instead suggesting he could speak Spanish but was just shy and perhaps afraid of messing up in front of the cameras. Reguilon’s latest comments suggest that may have been the case.

There may be a pandemic ongoing, the likes of which we have never seen and hopefully will never see again, but the Premier League is only heating up.

To add fuel to the furnace, we’ve taken a look back at all of this weekend’s action to come up with a whole recipe book of spicy takes.

Well, they’re not all spicy. There’s nothing spicy about a 0-0 between Brighton and Burnley, or the mug of lukewarm milk that is West Bromwich Albion, but we’ve done our best.

Brighton’s turgid 0-0 with Burnley didn’t teach us much, but it was the eighth successive Premier League game in which Adam Lallana kicked a ball.

March 2017 was the last time that happened.

James Milner’s little brother is setting the standard down on the south coast, and is once again regularly playing the sort of football that once had him starting for England. Things we love to see.

Yeah yeah, they’ve been really, really rubbish…but they’ve still conceded fewer goals than nine teams in the league.

Even when Burnley are bad, they’re the kind of bad that still looks capable of getting a result when they need it.

You just know Sean Dyche’s big strong boys will s—house their way to just enough points against the teams around them to keep their heads above water – especially when the standard at the back end of the table is so low.

Stuart Armstrong’s development since joining Southampton has been very strange. At Celtic, he was never the hardest worker, utilising his touch and awareness of space to unpick defences more than anything else, but under Ralph Hasenhuttl, he has turned into a winger who just doesn’t stop running, ever. He could have beaten Newcastle himself with the amount of ground he covered.

But because he doesn’t score 35 free kicks a season, and because he has a weird Highland accent (seriously listen to it, it’s bad), he rarely gets the credit.

Remember when Sean Longstaff was going to Man Utd for £50m? Hah.

Now he’s giving the ball away on the edge of his own box and costing his team goals. He will need to get his head together quickly, otherwise we’re looking at a Paul & Mathias Pogba situation at the Longstaff family Christmas dinners.

Remember when Everton were going to finish above Liverpool and win the Premier League and also probably win the FA Cup as well because they were the best team in the world again?

Yeah, what happened? They were pretty rubbish against Manchester United, falling to their third straight defeat, and it now looks as if they can’t buy a point, let alone a win.

Oh, those three defeats? The three games Richarlison’s missed. Maybe start with the Europa League and go from there, eh Carlo?

It’s now 14 goals conceded in seven league appearances this season, but Saturday’s trip to Everton was another game in which the Spaniard didn’t do anything actively wrong.

It seems the Dean Henderson-shaped rocket up his backside has finally got got his head into the game.

It seems to be that when you play Leeds, you’re either scoring four, conceding four, or both. With a devastating display at Selhurst Park this weekend, Palace fell into the former category this weekend.

They dismantled Marcelo Bielsa’s team as if they weren’t even there, taking them up to eighth place on 13 points. That’s 1.6 points per game; marginally better than the tally which got Wolves seventh-place last season.

Just saying.

We’re going to completely pass over the VAR shambles that ruled out Patrick Bamford’s delicious first goal against Palace, and instead focus on how Leeds’ goalscoring talisman is the man to deputise for Harry Kane on the international stage.

Why did Leeds bother with Rodrigo? Bamford now has seven in eight and is not slowing down. He’s constantly involved in everything, just the sort of nuisance England need.

For now, anyway. Frank Lampard’s golden boy has made himself undroppable, and even if he will never top their scoring or assist charts, you could make a case for him as Chelsea’s most important player.

He showed why he is one of the most underrated midfielders around with a busy display against Sheffield United, constantly showing for the ball in possession and harrying out of it, inspiring the unstoppable Blues to another big win.

Havertz has a shift on his hands to get back into this team.

When Rhian Brewster left Liverpool for Sheffield United, he thought he would be playing regularly for a side pushing for Europe.

Well, talk about trial by fire.

Chris Wilder’s team look bound for relegation, and at this rate they are going to do well not to break Derby’s record. Brewster, meanwhile, looks as if he is desperately lacking in confidence – it’s hard to see how this can be good for his career if it keeps up.

Kevin Nolan made 157 appearances for West Ham despite being 29 when they signed him from Newcastle. By that logic, Tomas Soucek is heading for the 500 club.

Whatever did their midfield do without his massive driving presence? He’s the perfect counterweight to Declan Rice, and he loves a goal too – just ask Alphonse Areola, who didn’t even get the chance to wave at his powerful late winner.

What are the odds that the best league in the world being home to the worst penalty kick ever attempted at any level of football; professional, semi-pro, amateur, five-a-side, Under-10s; in the history of the sport?

Pretty slim, right?

Congratulations, Ademola Lookman!

It’s difficult to even come up with a hot take for West Brom, such is the beige, vanilla, forgettableness of their current stint in the Premier League. They’re getting the occasional point, but do not look as if they will ever win a game – even Fulham beat them.

So, yeah. West Brom. Moving on.

Sorry, but they are. Jose Mourinho has rediscovered his mojo; his team have the joint best defensive record in the league, and the best combination of attackers since Randy Orton joined Evolution.

Continuing to write them off is an insult given how they’ve started, especially while neither Liverpool or Man City look up to their previous high standards yet.

It’s kind of obvious Jamie Vardy is going to finish this season as top scorer. Despite being 45 and being wrapped in cotton wool by Brendan Rodgers, he is the only player you can be sure will not stop scoring goals – he’s cleared 20 in three of the past four seasons and is already on nine for the season.

He has also now scored against every one of the 19 other teams in the Premier League – just needs an OG for the set.

Just give him it and come up with some sort of silver medal for everyone else.

There’s no point even trying to predict what will happen when Wolves are playing this season. 3-2 win? 0-0 draw? 4-0 defeat? They’re all as good as each other.

Leeds away should’ve been a thrilling encounter; Wolves s—fested to a 1-0 win. West Ham away should’ve been a straightforward win; they were comprehensively hammered.

Against Leicester this weekend they decided attacking wasn’t for them, but while the Foxes, in rampant form, should have run riot, they won 1-0 – and Wolves could have nicked something at the end.

18 months ago, if anyone went to the Etihad and opened up as much as Liverpool did on Sunday, it would have been a massacre.

Yet despite being presented with all the space in Manchester, this time, they looked clueless, slack and indecisive.

They are nowhere near what they were, and not that much of it can be blamed on pandemic weirdness. They need to forget about a title challenge for the time being and focus on getting into Europe.

After the hammer-and-tongs draw at the Etihad, Jurgen Klopp was praised to the heavens for his bravery in lining up with a gung-ho 4-2-4 formation. But let’s face it: that was the wrong decision.

It caught City out right off the bat, sure, but after the home side got into the rhythm of the game and adjusted their feet, the Reds looked all over the place. There didn’t appear to be a tactical plan for the defending champions, and there was no adjustment even when it became abundantly clear that it wasn’t working in the second half.

Helped by a horrible missed penalty, Klopp’s players dug deep and came away with a valuable point, but regardless of how well Diogo Jota is playing, this cannot be a thing that happens in the big games going forward.

Arsenal were supposed to be really good, weren’t they? What happened?

Their resounding defeat to Aston Vila means they have now lost four of their first eight league matches, and sit 11th in the table – without any games in hand to skew the numbers.

They’ve only scored nine times, and as much as they’re now ‘good against the big teams’, they’ve already been beaten by Liverpool, Man City and Leicester. It would be helpful if Artete remembered who Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is, but regardless, the picture is not as pretty as it seems.

On form, this one shouldn’t even be seen as a ‘hot take.’ Just a take.

Grealish registered his fifth assist of the season against Arsenal, having previously scored or assisted eight in the Premier League already. He’s played seven matches. Stupid, stupid good.

In keeping with this truly bonkers Premier League season, Aston Villa – who shipped seven goals in their previous two games – travelled to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening and put the Gunners to the sword 3-0.

It wasn’t quite on the level of the merciless performance that saw them best Liverpool 7-2 just over a month ago, but it wasn’t far off it.

At the back Matty Cash resembled a brick wall, registering three interceptions, six clearances, two blocks and three tackles. The ex-Nottingham Forest man also managed to restrict his opposite number, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to a grand total of zero attempts on goal – the first this has ever happened at the Emirates.

He wasn’t the only member of the Villa backline to impress either. Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings were silky smooth at centre-back and left-back also Matt Targett played his role, providing the cross that led to Villa’s first goal.

Also key to the build up of Villa’s opener was their best performer, Ross Barkley. Since arriving on loan from Chelsea, the 26-year-old has slotted in nicely. There was always a feeling that this was exactly the sort of move Barkley needed, but even still the results have been surprising.

Often lost in the shuffle at Stamford Bridge, his transition from wonderkid to somewhat of an inconsistent Premier League plodder had been sad to watch. However, since arriving at Villa Park, the shackles have been loosened and Barkley has been outstanding – even if some of that troublesome inconsistency has persisted.

Against Arsenal he definitely had one of his good days. For that aforementioned first goal the former Everton man played a wondrous reverse pass that split the Gunners backline open like a hot knife through butter.

Barkley also played a big role in Villa’s second, volleying Douglas Luiz’s sumptuous crossfield ball back across goal for Ollie Watkins to slide home. The technique of this pass was exemplary – indicative of midfielder’s extraordinary footballing gifts.

Overall, Barkley created an incredible six chances against the Gunners. The last person to do that at the Emirates? Former best playmaker in the world turned professional Tweeter Mesut Ozil. That’s the level of performance we were treated to on Sunday night.

Dean Smith deserves credit for helping to get the best out of Barkley. After avoiding relegation by the skin of his teeth last season, Smith would have been forgiven for setting the Villa midfield up in a highly structured way – especially with Jack Grealish providing ample creativity from the left

Instead, the Villans have played to Barkley’s strengths, allowing him license to roam at the tip of a midfield trio and lead the charge in transition. Against the highly structured Arsenal this gamble paid off massively.

If Barkley can carry on at this rate not only will Villa continue their surprise charge up the table, he should also be back in the England fold in time for next summer’s Euros.