LaLiga 2018-19, Espanyol 0-4 Barcelona: 3 Takeaways from the match

#1 Arturo Vidal proving critics wrong

Vidal was at his tenacious best against Espanyol

In a shock move which not many foresaw, Barcelona paid €25 million for the services of Vidal from Bayern Munich.

The 31-year-old Chilean international is a serial winner at both club and national level, so would not be entirely awed by the demands of Barcelona.

But his differential skill set to what is obtainable at Barcelona meant that many did not see the usefulness of he transfer, especially seeing as Paulinho (who is a similar type of player) had just been loaned out.

Many fans and pundits (this writer included) did not see the necessity of the Vidal transfer, and expressed doubt over his suitability to Barcelona.

However, Vidal possesses many qualities which complements the Barcelona style, offering a useful alternatively to their much vaunted pattern.

Having earlier fallen out with the board and coach over his use of social media, Vidal seems to have made his peace with Valverde and has gotten a good run of games in recent weeks.

He had repaid the faith by providing Barcelona with the tenacious and gritty style of play which has been lacking in recent years (and has been a hallmark of his game throughout his career).

Vidal has combined ruthless marking with some exquisite attacking forays, with his ball carrying abilities proving immensely beneficial to the otherwise one-dimensional Barca midfield.

He has added goals,while also showing a tendency to play Messi in (almost a prerequisite for Barcelona success) and has not been afraid to put his body on the line for the Barcelona cause, (with an instance coming in the Espanyol match when he sacrificed himself in front of an opposition shot despite Barca already being 4-0 up).

He got an unintentional stud on his (problematic) knee from his teammate as reward for his efforts, but after showing mild signs of discomfort, sprinted back to the field in quintessential Vidal style.

Many critics had reservations about Vidal's signing, but with his performances so far, he is going about silencing his critics very well.