Barkley back to his best as Luton continue fight to stay in top flight

Luton are battling to extend their stay in the Premier League and midfield maestro Ross Barkley is spearheading the charge towards safety.

The former Chelsea man has been back to his best since joining last August but there is work to be done if the Hatters are to avoid the drop.

Ahead of their FA Cup replay at Bolton tonight, we take a closer look at the England international's redemption arc.

Promising past

Barkley's career has seen its fair share of highs and lows. 

With his promise at Everton giving way to a challenging stint at Chelsea, the 33-cap international struggled to establish himself as a starter during his time at Stamford Bridge.

He often faced criticism and doubts were cast over his ability to fulfil his potential but the midfielder's fortunes improved when he joined Aston Villa on loan in 2020.

Under Dean Smith, Barkley showed glimpses of his talent, recording four goal contributions and restoring his confidence along the way.

Despite improved showings at Villa Park, the Merseysider made a permanent move to Nice in September 2022, where he struggled to make an impact.

Rob Edwards handed Barkley another chance to play Premier League football 12 months later and the move is proving to be an unexpected stroke of genius from the Hatters' head coach.

Living in the moment

Barkley has popped up with three goal contributions in his last six top-flight matches for Luton and Edwards has wasted no time paying tribute to his No6.

He said: "We love him and he loves his time here.

"He has a good amount of self-confidence seasoned with good arrogance. He is a really good football player.

"His arrival has been humble with hunger and desire to deliver. He believes in what we're doing and he has played really well."

Up for the challenge

Much of Barkley's success in Bedfordshire can be put down to his willingness to embrace the challenge.

Many pundits predicted Luton to be as good as relegated by Christmas but they sit just one point from safety after 20 league games.

Their gritty displays — particularly at Kenilworth Road — have seen Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all pushed to their limit and the dirty work done by their 30-year-old summer signing has not gone unnoticed.

Barkley ranks in the top 21 in the division for possessions won in the middle third and his contributions in the final third have resulted in the Hatters having netted as many goals as Manchester United (24).

Barkley's bite

The man himself admits he is playing with a determination to prove himself this season and believes keeping Luton up will do just that.

He said: "[I was] training well and not getting the game time sometimes you probably do deserve.

"Now coming here I'm getting the game time. The manager has given me a platform to take my frustration out, help the team and enjoy my football.

"As a player if you're on the bench, then you play, then you're on the bench, it’s stop-start, so now just playing game after game I feel happy and confident and I know what I can do."

Luton have every chance of remaining in the Premier League beyond this season but they will need Barkley at his best if they are to beat the odds.