Phil still a force, but kids sparkle
PHILIPPE COUTINHO’S return to the Premier League has generated nothing but positivity.
With good reason, too, because the former Liverpool star (below) has been exceptional at times and nothing short of very good at others since arriving at Aston Villa in January.
The more he plays, the more his loan from Barcelona looks to have been a masterstroke by Villa boss Steven Gerrard.
And not just on the field, because Coutinho has slotted brilliantly into a dressing room with no shortage of South Americans, too.
Such has been Coutinho’s impact that many of those who questioned why Arsenal were also considering a January move for him are being forced to concede that his best days clearly aren’t behind him.
Yet, despite all that, here at Villa Park he was outshone by Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe, the young Gunners delivering the goods and showing why boss Mikel Arteta knew he could do without the Brazilian.
In particular, Odegaard at No.10 had a fine game.
And to his right, goalscorer Saka produced even more than the Norwegian until he was caught by a heavy challenge from England team-mate Tyrone Mings soon after giving his side the lead.
He was still a threat afterwards, just not quite of the same level, as he linked up well with Cedric Soares on the right.
On the other side of the field, Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney gave Arsenal a width that caused Villa trouble for good periods of this game. So it’s no wonder Arteta has such faith in the three of them – and in Gabriel Martinelli as well. If the Spaniard can keep them together — and there’s no reason he can’t if the club keeps moving forward in the same way it has this season — then they will be frightening in two or three years’ time.
Odegaard is playing so well that there are few players in the top flight running games any better than him.
What a pleasure it is to see him showcasing his talents after failing to make the breakthrough at Real Madrid.
The embrace he shared with Coutinho at the final whistle showed the respect there is for Odegaard from those who have been there and done it.
Arsenal could, of course, still move for Coutinho in the summer and with European football all but certain, Arteta will want more bodies in to spread the workload. But even a player of his calibre will arrive as an equal to Arsenal’s bright young things and certainly not as a superior.
If they do secure fourth spot ahead of Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham, then this result will be one they look back on as having been vital.
They were excellent in the first half, but up against it in the second and clung on in a way they perhaps wouldn’t have in the recent past.
Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey were excellent in the holding midfield roles, cutting off the supply line to Coutinho, Ollie Watkins and, when he emerged from the subs’ bench, Danny Ings.
And when the ball did get past them, Ben White and Gabriel were solid at the back.
But not for the first time, it was the creative boys who stood out, and the prospect of seeing them being tested in the Champions League next season must have Arsenal fans salivating.
The more Coutinho plays, the more his loan from Barcelona looks to have been a masterstroke by Gerrard