After a Chelsea vs. Arsenal game you would expect Martin Keown to be writing about his old club. But after Chelsea’s 3-2 win over the Gunners, it was one of the boys in Blue that caught his eye.
Ross Barkley had a good game, there’s no doubt about that. He really put himself about and used his impressive physicality well. The problem is he’s up against Mateo Kovacic, who came on and oozed class.
He’s the man who picked up most of the praise from pundits, but not Keown, who used his column in the Daily Mail to sing Barkley’s praises instead:
“[Barkley] was replaced on the hour by Mateo Kovacic but I would urge Sarri to stick with him for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.”
“This is a player who needs to gain confidence and become more free in his mind to go and play. Sarri has a special talent and can give him the perfect platform to finally fulfil his potential.”
It’s encouraging to see a former international so high on Barkley. We still expect Kovacic to be the number one choice once he’s fit, but until then, Ross is an excellent deputy.