Steven Gerrard thought Philippe Coutinho was ‘back to his Liverpool form’ in Aston Villa’s 4-0 win over Southampton on Saturday. The Brazil international scored one and set-up another as Gerrard’s side secured back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since November.
Steven Gerrard said: “We’ve got Phil [Coutinho] back fit and in a really good place – he was back to his Liverpool form today and he was a touch above. The other players have got a lift from him. It is about having players running in behind for him and Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings were untouchable at times today too. When Phil is in the mood he is a world class player. He probably finished my career a couple of years early, he’s the reason I’ve got screws in my knees and groin!”
Villa frontman Ollie Watkins also heaped praise on his teammate after the game when speaking to Match of the Day.
Ollie Watkins said: “Sometimes he thinks too quickly for you, so I have to go off his body movement and sometimes I’ve gone the opposite way. He’s too sharp – he thinks quicker than anyone else. I can’t speak highly enough about him to be honest. It’s a joy to play with him, and Ingsy, and hopefully we can do this more often to teams.”
