Ross Barkley praises Aston Villa’s ‘fantastic’ display after Fenerbahce thrashing

Ross Barkley said Aston Villa’s 6-0 victory over Fenerbahce was exactly the result the team needed after a difficult start to the Premier League season.

Villa produced a clinical performance against the Turkish side at Villa Park on Wednesday to maintain their perfect record in this season’s UEFA Champions League. It was their second victory in the competition.

Barkley played a central role in the result, scoring twice and providing an assist. The 32-year-old said the performance showed the progress being made by a squad that includes a number of new players.

“It was a great performance overall by the team, and we needed this result,” Barkley said after the match.

“We’re still gelling, we’ve got loads of new players, we’re all getting on the same page on the training pitch, and today we worked well.

“We’ve got loads of top players in the squad, new additions, and it was nice to play in the game today and chip in with a couple of goals to build some confidence within the team.”

The win extended Aston Villa’s run of home victories in European competition to 11 consecutive matches.

Barkley also highlighted the impact of the Villa Park crowd, saying the atmosphere could unsettle visiting teams. He singled out captain John McGinn for the way he helps drive both the supporters and his team-mates.

“Maybe it surprises teams here, with the atmosphere. It’s intense,” Barkley added.

“The fans get behind us if we win our duels, and that’s why John McGinn is so key for us: he wins duels, gets us going, he’s passionate and he lifts the fans and the team.

“We were fantastic today, and hopefully we can keep building on that.”

Unai Emery’s side now switch their focus back to the Premier League, with a trip to Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday.

Villa are currently 16th in the table and will be aiming to use the momentum from their European victory to climb higher.