Areas Where Barcelona Are Actually Better Than Last Season

Given that Barcelona had a remarkable treble-winning season in the last campaign, it's a difficult task to pinpoint where they might have improved in this one.

There's certainly no question that Barca's defence has been taken down a notch or two, although looking at things individually and stylistically, Thomas Vermaelen's inclusion has been a bonus.

The Catalans do look a far better proposition at the back when the Belgian is in situ, and being naturally left-footed, he has given Barca more balance at that end of the pitch. 

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In attack, it's arguable that Barca are improving. Lionel Messi's absence has shown everyone just how important Neymar and Luis Suarez have become to the team.

The old, well-worn cliche of Messi-dependence is now truly over. Neymar sits atop the La Liga top-scorer list with 11 goals while Suarez is tucked right in behind with nine.

Twenty league goals already between the pair is better than every team bar Real Madrid and Celta Vigo. More than goals, however, is the astonishing, almost telepathic interplay between the pair.

Messi oiled the wheels of the threesome during last season, but the improving relationship between the Brazilian and Uruguayan bodes well for later on in this campaign.

Indeed, Suarez recently told Graham Hunter of UEFA's website:

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Right now Leo is missing and that adds to the need for us strikers to connect whenever possible. If you play next to a footballer of the great quality of 'Ney' then, obviously, you enjoy the games and the partnership a great deal more. Beyond winning it's obviously very satisfying to help the team with assists and goals.

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Neymar was also fulsome in the praise of his colleague when talking to Hunter, adding: "We played a winning game [against BATE Borisov]—we got the goals we required against a well-organised team. For that third goal I had to race at top speed to get there but what was vital was that Luis gave me an absolutely magnificent pass."

Suarez has now equalled Diego Maradona's total for Barca having played the same number of games, and he is a solitary strike behind the great Romario's total with six games left to achieve the mark.

If you consider that the anniversary of his debut has only recently passed, that is a truly mesmerising statistic.

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It might be a surprise to many to note that results at this stage of the season are actually better than they were by match Week 10 of 2014/15.

By that point last season, Barca had won seven, drawn one and lost two, scoring 22 and conceding four. Before the Villarreal game, the Catalans had won eight and lost two of their 10 La Liga fixtures, scoring 22 and conceding 12.

Goal difference aside, there has been a marginal improvement in points and games won. A small margin, yes, but an improvement, nonetheless.

The other area of the pitch where there has been a marked upgrade is frankly any area where Sergi Roberto has been stationed.

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A previous serial bench-warmer, the youngster had been used sparingly until this season but has come of age in some style, and he has allowed Enrique the luxury of changing up Barca's game plan to suit.

Whether in the right-back position as cover for Dani Alves, on the left-side of midfield to compensate for Andres Iniesta's recent omissions through injury or as the marauding attacking midfielder that the club always hoped he would become, Roberto's emergence has been a revelatory experience.