Analysing the Importance of Philippe Coutinho to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino understandably took the plaudits for Liverpool’s hugely impressive 4-1 win over Manchester City on Saturday, however Carragher feels the role of Lucas in midfield highlights the way Jurgen Klopp wants the Reds to play.

The Reds ran riot at Premier League title favourites Manchester City on Saturday evening, claiming their first win at the Eithad since 2008 with a comprehensive 4-1 win.

Liverpool’s next seven league games are against opposition who aren’t expected to challenge for a top four place, so this gives Klopp’s men a chance to catch up with the rest. If you look at the teams we have played away from home and the results we have got, it has been pretty solid, but obviously the home form we can improve.

“It’s probably only the home form that’s let us down, but in a way that’s a pleasing thing because we know what we need to try and change”. Liverpool may have looked better on the road so far under him, but they’ve improved at home, too. “We can’t change our targets just because we have won”.

“We all must think what will happen in the future, we have an important game on Wednesday, sometimes it happens in football to play like this”.

“That’s why I say we can do better than tonight in many parts of the game”. “We’re just going from game to game and trying to get as many points as we can”.

Midfielder Milner, who left City for Anfield in the summer, said: “I thought we were outstanding”. A stunned Etihad couldn’t believe what they were seeing, and the Liverpool faithful who had made the short journey were similarly bemused given that in their last league game their boys had lost at home to Crystal Palace. “It was all we needed from tonight and the lads did well”, he added.

A goalless draw would also be enough to send Liverpool into the next round if group leaders Sion win at Rubin Kazan in the early kick-off.

“Hopefully we can keep riding the wave and take the confidence we’ve got from today and kick on, and hopefully they’ll bounce back as well – I’ve a lot of good friends there and want them to see do well when they’re not playing against us”.

The money is in the Champions League but I can ” t promise it now.

“Today we did it all wrong – the performance, the way we defended, the way we went forward. But having said that, when he came on at the weekend, he did seem more mobile and Klopp did say something about him being quicker on his legs”.