According to former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January has proved to be a blessing in disguise for Liverpool as the club are now performing better without him.
Coutinho left Anfield in January in a stunning £142m deal but since the playmaker’s departure, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength. Liverpool trio Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino has hogged the limelight after Coutinho’s departure.
The Reds attacking trio has ripped defences apart with utmost ease, scoring 76 goals between them in all competitions this campaign with 6 games still left to play in the Premier League.
The Reds now have a glorious opportunity of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League after roasting Manchester City 3-0 in the first-leg of quarter-finals on Wednesday.
It wasn’t the first time Jurgen Klopp’s team blew away their opponents with their breathtaking attacking football this season. Goalkeeper-turned-pundit Mark Schwarzer believes that Coutinho’s departure has improved Liverpool as an attacking force.
“Liverpool don’t have the squad that Manchester City have,” Schwarzer told Sky Sports. “Manchester City are able to play at a high level because they have players who can come in and keep them at the same high level.
“They (Liverpool) have shown, on isolated moments, that they can match the best and Manchester City are the best at the moment. Over two legs Liverpool need to show they can do it.
“Liverpool have been in evolution for a very long time, but under Jurgen Klopp they have got progressively got better with every season, and this season they have stepped up again with the link up between Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
“If anything, Coutinho leaving has been a blessing in disguise because those three have got even better since he left.”
Indeed, Coutinho’s departure has not slowed down our attacking play. Everyone witnessed how ruthlessly we beat Manchester City in the first leg of the CL quarter-finals.
Although Liverpool have put a foot in the semi-finals, the return leg is at the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City will go all guns blazing from the first minute.
However, if Mane, Firmino and Salah perform at the top level in the second leg, there is no looking back for the Reds.
