TalkSport reporter Alex Crook has given his thoughts on Philippe Coutinho and his performances for Aston Villa.
It’s fair to say that Coutinho has taken to Villa like a duck to water since his arrival in the January transfer window, with two goals and two assists to his name prior to this weekend’s game, and he added to that with a goal and assist to help seal a 4-0 victory at Villa Park to continue his impressive form for Steven Gerrard’s men.
If he keeps this up, his signing could go down as one of the best deals of the window.
And although there might not be anything for them to fight for this season, as they currently sit nine points off a spot in Europe, 12 from the relegation spaces and are out of the FA Cup, his form here may well be setting them up for something in the future.
Speaking on the TalkSport GameDay podcast, Crook praised the Brazilian for his performance on the day, claiming that it was his best so far since he made the move to Villa Park, claiming that if they were able to get a deal done for him permanently in the summer, it could well spark something special for the club.
He said: “I thought Philippe Coutinho produced arguably the best performance since his return to the Premier League.
“I think if they can keep Coutinho in that kind of form and they activate their clause to sign him permanently, I think it’s going to be a very exciting next campaign for Aston Villa.”
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Crook’s comments are backed up by the stats, as the 29-year-old, on top of his goal and assist, managed to complete an impressive 88% of his passes, make two key passes, two dribbles, get away four shots and even help out defensively by making an interception on his way to an 8.66 match rating (via WhoScored).
As Crook hints at, there is the chance that they could make the deal permanent, with Football Insider claiming that the club have an option to do so for £33.7m, and if he carries on the way he has been doing between now and the end of the season, they’d be foolish not to exercise it.
And if that form carries on for them into next season, there is every chance that when combined with the run that Gerrard has put together since taking over, a challenge for silverware through the cups and a place in Europe might not be too far-fetched an idea.
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