Liverpool’s ‘little magician’ was once again the brightest spark inside Anfield in an exciting 1-1 draw with title hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur. Amidst all the excitement surrounding attacking midfielders such as Dimitri Payet and Mesut Özil this season, Philippe Coutinho has flown a little under the radar, but he has had another phenomenal year.
Coutinho’s performance against Tottenham epitomised what all Liverpool fans have been raving about since his bargain £8,500,000 signing in 2013. Whilst there is no doubting that he has improved tenfold as a talent since then, his ability was evident from the off.
Possibly his best moment at Anfield was in the closing stages of the 2013-14 season when Liverpool faced Manchester City in what seemed like a title-decider. Coutinho was at the centre of everything The Reds were doing well, which resulted in him smashing home a 78th minute winner sending all 45,000 Liverpool fans into a state of euphoria. Though Liverpool were unable to win the league in the end, it was his performance in that match which got them so close to glory.
Perhaps Coutinho’s brilliance during the 2014-15 campaign was as a reaction to being snubbed from the 2014 World Cup squad and not being given the chance to help his country win the most prestigious tournament in football. Last season, he created over 45 chances and registered an average of two key passes per match, which showed that Liverpool had leaned towards him more and more for his creativity.
Performances against Southampton and Manchester City were both capped with world class goals, as he began to improve his goal tally, which was the only criticism which he faced from pundits. His importance within the team grew dramatically as the absence of Luis Suarez was felt.
Since the departure of Steven Gerrard, Liverpool have been searching for a talisman who could bear the sheer weight of expectation with which he was burdened for much of his career, and he has stepped up to the plate. His brilliant performances against Manchester United and Tottenham showed how important he is to the team.
Although Raheem Sterling was the subject of a high profile transfer controversy amidst his £49,000,000 move to Manchester City, Coutinho deserved a high-profile move himself. That prospect may become a reality in the not too distant future as he has reportedly attracted attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Nevertheless, most English football fans, along with all of those at Liverpool would love to see him in the Premier League for years to come as he would undoubtedly be the focal point of Klopp’s rebuilding plans.
There is no doubt that wherever he continues his career, Coutinho will be an integral part of whichever team he plays in. Be it Liverpool or if he moves to one of the world’s biggest clubs, expect much more to come from the 23-year-old. By the time of the next World Cup, expect him to play a large role in whatever success Brazil may have.
