BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks believes Philippe Coutinho has replaced Jack Grealish’s impact in the Aston Villa squad after another incredible performance under Steven Gerrard.
Writing in his Team of the Week column, the former attacker lauded the Brazilian international following Villa’s 4-0 win against Southampton, with Coutinho scoring and assisting and another in a huge win for the Birmingham-based club.
Coutinho joined Villa on loan in January from FC Barcelona, and his impact on the club has been seismic, with the attacker already scoring three and assisting three in just seven games for Gerrard’s side, who look to have found the heir to Grealish.
The England international left for Manchester City in the summer, and since then, Villa have been missing that X-factor in attack, yet since the arrival of Coutinho, the Brazilian has brought so much to the side that was missing since Grealish’s record-breaking move.
And for Crooks, Coutinho had replaced Grealish to a tee, with the pundit writing: “Coutinho is making Villa players play all over the pitch. Why his move to Barcelona didn’t work out is hard to fathom but I haven’t seen a player have such an impact on a Villa team since Jack Grealish.
The BBC Sport pundit later added: “It looks like Coutinho has well and truly replaced Grealish and at a fraction of the cost. Coutinho for Grealish looks like good business done by Villa.”
Coutinho’s performances at Villa will make fans forget about Grealish
Replacing Grealish looked like an almost impossible task after the England international left for City in the summer, yet with Coutinho under Gerrard, the Brazilian is working miracles at Villa Park supporters never thought would be possible since the exit of their former captain.
Indeed, Coutinho has been sensational for Villa since joining on loan, and it’s hard to argue that the former Liverpool star is not the closest thing to Grealish the Premier League club have had since their former superstar’s departure to Manchester.
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