Coutinho golazo bails out Liverpool again

 

With Liverpool’s attack-minded summer signings stifled at the Britannia Stadium, the club’s reigning player of the season rescued a win.

Philippe Coutinho added another long-range strike to his considerable resume and Liverpool beat Stoke City 1-0 to open the Premier League season on Sunday

The two sides put on a rather dull and fruitless affair until the 86th minute, when Coutinho received a pass and turned around Stoke’s Steve Sidwell before taking a few touches and smacking a right-footed rocket over the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Coutinho has made a habit of scoring impressive goals in big moments this calendar year, and the irony of his latest is that he was seconds away from being substituted for Danny Ings, the former Burnley striker signed by Liverpool this summer to bolster the attack.

Other big signings, like Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and forward-wheeling defender Nathaniel Clyne, failed to solve Stoke’s defense for most of the match. That isn’t uncommon; Stoke is a notoriously tough place to both score and earn three points. It just places special emphasis on Coutinho’s goal.

Liverpool will need more from its new signings if it expects to finish in the top four and get back in the Champions League this season. Coutinho’s continued quality, however, hints that the 23-year-old will be a mainstay at Anfield for years to come.

The victory also extinguishes some sour memories for Liverpool. The Reds lost 6-1 at Stoke to finish last season, and while the game had no real bearing on the standings, it was the first time in more than five decades that Liverpool had conceded six goals in a league game and a wholly unflattering sendoff for club legend Steven Gerrard.

Stoke’s Charlie Adam revealed recently that he and his teammates still talk about that win. Thanks to Coutinho, Liverpool’s doing the talking now.