Aston Villa were held to a 3-3 draw at home to Leeds United on Wednesday night in a thrilling clash in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard’s side fell behind in the contest before rescuing things to lead 3-1 at one point. That advantage was eventually pegged back mid-way through the second-half, with Ezri Konsa then receiving his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
While the Villa boss will surely be frustrated with the way his side threw away a two-goal lead in the game, he will be very excited at the kind of performance one of his January signings put in: Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian brought Gerrard’s side back into the game after Daniel James’ opener, controlling a cut-back from Matty Cash before firing low past Illan Meslier into the corner of the net.
The Barcelona loanee then turned provider with a pair of assists, with the second seeing him run forward on a quick counter-attack before checking back inside and delivering a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Jacob Ramsey to fire home the second of his two goals.
And, after seeing him set Ramsey that second just before half-time, BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher dubbed Coutinho as being “unplayable”.
As per Sofascore, he completed the joint-most amount of dribbles on the night, and unsurprisingly led his team for the number of official big chances created with two – he also provided another two key passes too.
The Brazil international also managed to win four out of his eight ground duels, and chipped in with one tackle and one interception – the kind of defensive work that would have left Gerrard delighted.
What was most eye-catching about Coutinho was just how efficient he was, rarely wasting his opportunity on the ball – in fact, he only had two more touches than goalkeeper Emi Martinez, and had two fewer passes in total than the Argentine, showcasing just how decisive he was when did get hold of the ball.
Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him a nine, saying: “The warning signs were there for Leeds early as Coutinho twirled and danced away from challenges. Then the Villa Park floor was all his own as he crashed home his second in as many appearances at Villa Park before brilliantly turning provider twice for Jacob Ramsey.
“Coutinho had a curler from range in the second half which appeared to tweak his knee which, in the end, was the reason behind his withdrawal with a little over 10 to go. A truly magical glimpse into what the elite-level Coutinho can do.”
While Ramsey may take the headlines for brace, it was Coutinho’s magical display in the middle of the park that really stole the show at Villa Park.
Meanwhile, Lange could repeat a major Villa mistake…