Liverpool’s Opta stars of 2014: Sterling, Gerrard & Coutinho feature

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A year full of highs and lows for Liverpool saw certain names consistently produce the numbers, regardless of their form.

2014 was a year Liverpool fans will want to both remember and forget in equal measure.

The highs of Brendan Rodgers’ second season in charge at Anfield, when it seemed as though the Reds could put five past anyone at stages, will long live in the memory of Kopites.

But those times will, of course, be counterbalanced by the heartbreaking memories of yet again losing out on a Premier League title and the on-pitch turmoil that followed in the second half of 2014.

Nevertheless, when it comes to the stats, several Liverpool performers consistently turned out the numbers all through the year…

As Opta stats show, Raheem Sterling was the Reds’ most creative player, having created 78 chances and won 124 dribbles in over 3,000 minutes of football. Interestingly, skipper Steven Gerrard is right behind him in terms of chances created, although it is intriguing to note Luis Suarez’s impact in just several months of football.

Passing-wise, Gerrard tops the table for the Reds, having completed almost 2,000 of them (despite the odd misplaced Hollywood pass!). Martin Skrtel was Liverpool’s most accurate passer, though, while Jordan Henderson, Philippe Coutinho and Sterling complete their top five.

Defensively, it is Gerrard again that tops the standings in every key area. That perhaps says a lot for Liverpool’s lack of influence from the back – after all, 2014 was one of Liverpool’s worst ever years defensively.

And it is interesting to note the impact of Coutinho, who won a surprisingly high amount of tackles for an attacking midfielder. Jon Flanagan’s presence in the top five is also eye-catching, as he played just 1,336 minutes during the year.