Sunday’s Premier League meeting between Aston Villa and Liverpool was always going to be a crucial match for Gareth Barry.

He probably would have preferred to be playing for Liverpool but, after that transfer fell through – thanks partly to manager Martin O’Neill’s reluctance to sell but mainly to the chaotic air that pervades Liverpool – he is at least performing like a professional, which is more than can be said for some players who have seen their transfer hopes stymied this summer.