Carragher: This Liverpool player has awoken from mid-season slumber

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on:

23 Apr 2017, 11:43 am

By Harry Sykes

Jamie Carragher praised Philippe Coutinho on Sky Sports for coming alive from his mid-season slumber in recent weeks.

The Liverpool playmaker scored his 10th league goal of the season to give his side a 1-0 lead against Crystal Palace with a magnificent free-kick at Anfield on Saturday.

But Christian Benteke levelled with a smart finish from a low Yohan Cabaye cross shortly before the break to set up a fascinating second half in the Premier League fixture.

Anfield legend Carragher was impressed by the quality of Coutinho's goal after he had won the free-kick that he then converted, and also noted the Brazilian's improvement following a difficult period earlier in the calendar year.

"He has come alive these last couple of months," Carragher said on Sky Sports 1's live coverage of the Liverpool-Palace match. "You were thinking PFA team of the year, one of the top six players, he was right in the running until he got an injury here three or four months ago.

"He wasn't the same when he came back but now he is showing what he was at the start of the season, that he is one of the top players in the Premier League."

Coutinho has scored 10 goals and supplied six assists from 27 Premier League matches, with only Roberto Firmino and the injured Sadio Mane finding the net more often.

Mane has scored 13 league goals from 27 matches, while Firmino has struck 11 times from 31 appearances in the competition.

In other Liverpool transfer news, the club are clear favourites to sign a world-class playmaker after a dramatic development.

We’ve launched a <<BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Liverpool breaking news.

Liverpool FC

Philippe Coutinho

Jamie Carragher