Louie Barry: 17-year-old lights up English football with goal — and smile
Against a powerful Liverpool staff that included the likes Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, Villa was compelled to area a staff of kids after the membership suffered a Covid-19 outbreak earlier the week. The 11 gamers that began the sport for Villa have been all making their first-team debuts.
“Our experience of this situation in the past two days has been a frightening scenario because we went from 100% negative on 1 January to 14 cases,” Villa chief govt officer Christian Purslow instructed BT Sport.
“Many of the players tonight are so young their mums and dads will be dropping them off at Villa Park.”
Liverpool took an early lead via Mane’s header however an exquisite solo goal by Barry ensured Villa have been degree at halftime.
Midfielder Thiago Alcantara got here on for Liverpool at the beginning of the second half and his introduction swung the sport within the guests’ favor, with targets from Georginio Wijnaldum and Salah in addition to one other Mane header making certain victory for Jurgen Klopp’s staff.
But it was Barry’s goal and his post-match interviews, the place he understandably simply could not cease smiling, that encapsulated the vim and vigor of the Villa efficiency.
“I feel the team deserved it as well for how we applied ourselves to the half, and even the second half,” a beaming Barry, who joined the Birmingham-based staff from Barcelona final 12 months, instructed Villa TV.
“When I scored, it was a surreal moment. You could see all the relief coming out of me and the team, everyone jumping on each other.
“It was one of the best second of my life and in all probability their lives as nicely.”
After the game Barry swapped shirts with Liverpool’s Brazilian international Fabinho, before the teenager had second thoughts about not keeping the top in which he debuted.
He ran after Fabinho, who then gave Barry back his Villa shirt — and let the 17-year-old retain the Liverpool defender’s top.
“The children did very well,” Klopp said. “We had issues in passing and shifting. Too many on the flawed facet of the ball, not sufficient recoveries of passes.
“We had chances and shot directly at the goalie. It was rusty but better in the second half. We have a lot players with no rhythm.”
Covid-19 spike
In an announcement on Tuesday the league mentioned that between December 28 and 31, 1,311 gamers and membership employees have been examined for Covid-19 — of those, there have been 28 new optimistic checks.
From January 1 to three, Covid-19 checks have been administered to 984 gamers and membership employees, with 12 checks coming again optimistic.
It is the primary week gamers and membership employees have been examined twice every week for Covid-19.
As of Tuesday, 4 Premier League matches have been postponed this season as a consequence of Covid-19 points.
The league added that it “continues to have confidence in its COVID-19 protocols, fully backed by the Government, to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled.”
