COUTINHO HOLDS KEY FOR KLOPP

THERE is very little separating Liverpool and Manchester City in terms of who boasts the best forward line. If I was picking my dream front three from the two squads, I would have to include Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane over Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling. Salah is instrumental in everything Liverpool do. He has now scored 12 goals and assisted another three in his 15 league games — the most prolific start by a Liverpool player in the Premier League. Kevin De Bruyne may be everyone’s dead cert to win Player of the Year but Salah is pushing him close. Liverpool countered unbelievably against Brighton. They hurt teams with their blistering pace and I love watching them. If I have one criticism it is that they lack a No9, such as Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus. Without a traditional target man, Liverpool struggled to break teams down earlier in the season. It is for that reason that I would pick Aguero in my combined Liverpool-City front three. But what a luxury for Jurgen Klopp to have Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho all fit. Liverpool are thrilling in attack and seem to have addressed their defensive issues, too, conceding just three goals in their last six Premier League games. With Arsenal losing to Manchester United and Spurs stuttering, Liverpool have seized the initiative in the battle for the Champions League. Coutinho pulling the strings behind the front three will be vital to their top-four hopes. After fighting so hard to hold off Barcelona in the summer, Liverpool’s ambition would have to be questioned if they let him go in January.