While there was disappointment after our 3-3 draw with Leeds Utd, one of the big positives for Aston Villa was the performance of Philippe Coutinho.
Having arrived on loan in the January transfer window from Barcelona until the end of the season, the 29-year-old had a clear mandate both for himself personally and for the team.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Leeds: Mings poor, but Ramsey and Coutinho impress
The move to Villa was completed with the hope that he could rediscover his best form under the stewardship of former teammate Steven Gerrard, which in turn would secure his place in the Brazil squad for the World Cup later this year, while also helping Villa move on to the next level.
Three games into his stint in Birmingham, Coutinho is showing the quality that saw him regarded as one of the finest players in the world just a matter of a few years ago, and Villa are seemingly doing all the right things to get the best out of him.
Coutinho masterclass vs Leeds
As seen in the numbers below, the Brazilian playmaker was an influential figure for us in midweek as he provided two assists for Jacob Ramsey after getting on the scoresheet himself.
While his finish to bring us level at 1-1 was superb in itself as he showed a clinical edge to his play to find the bottom corner, the vision and execution to twice set Ramsey through on goal was just a different level.
That’s now two goals and two assists in three Premier League appearances for Coutinho, and given the expectation is that he’ll get stronger and more effective as he continues to settle and acclimatise alongside his teammates, it’s hoped that there is so much more to come from him.
🙌🏽🇧🇷 Coutinho vs Leeds…#avfc #UTV pic.twitter.com/eqr9bGa54B
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) February 10, 2022
While the numbers tell a story, so do the images in the tweets below, as they showcase the class displayed by Coutinho to twice find Ramsey in space to produce two fine finishes of his own.
Coutinho put all of his top qualities on display. From the turn to create space for himself, the vision to find the right ball and the weight of pass to perfectly put Ramsey through on both occasions, Villa’s new hero was an inspiring and influential figure for us in midweek and Gerrard will no doubt have been delighted with his contribution.
Given the quality that Villa showed in the final third, it was a huge shame that we weren’t able to secure all three points and reward that play with an important win. The key issue that Villa and Gerrard must now solve is finding a balance in the side to tighten things up defensively and become harder to break through which in turn puts our front four in a position to go out and win the game.
Emiliano Buendia was the star man prior to the break, now Coutinho and Ramsey have stepped up. If they can continue to create problems, it’s hoped that also has a positive influence on Ollie Watkins, as Villa will become a much more potent side if he gets amongst the goals too with Coutinho no doubt capable of supplying him with quality service as well, such is the class that he operates with.
Still not over the quality involved in our goals last night. The movement from Ramsey and his awareness of running into dangerous areas, the vision and execution from Coutinho to put him through. Great play all round 👌🏽#avfc #UTV pic.twitter.com/4nLZI7wxqk
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) February 10, 2022
