Philippe Coutinho Is the Key to Liverpool's Increasingly Serious Title Challenge

SELHURST PARK, LONDON — A cursory glance at the final score and scorers at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening would fail to convey the immense influence Philippe Coutinho had on the game between Crystal Palace and Liverpool. 

The Brazilian did not make it on to the scoresheet in south London, but he was overwhelmingly the driving force behind the Reds' impressive 4-2 victory over Palace, which placed them level on points with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. 

Coutinho was involved in everything of note for Liverpool as he scurried across the pitch, a bright-green blur against the dark-green grass, linking play, darting into space and ghosting past defenders with ease.

From the stands at Selhurst Park, it was a joy to watch a growing talent orchestrate his team’s attacks with such verve and intelligence.

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Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew had changed his side to counter Liverpool and the threat of Coutinho, but sometimes genius cannot be contained, and it would ultimately be in vain.

Whether on the left or drifting into a more central position, Coutinho asserted his control and effortlessly dictated the pace of this game.

After 16 minutes, Coutinho helped give Liverpool the lead with his delicate chip into the Palace penalty area to Alberto Moreno, who cut the ball back first time for Emre Can to open the scoring.

Five mintues later, having quickly conceded an equaliser, Liverpool regained the lead when Coutinho swung in a fine corner for Dejan Lovren to head home from close range.

Just before half-time, Liverpool went 3-2 in front when Coutinho produced another expertly delivered corner, this time on to the head of Joel Matip.

The gap between the teams would have been a lot wider if Coutinho’s own header had not been turned on to the post by Steve Mandanda in the first half and if Sadio Mane had converted the chance the Brazilian presented him with in the second half.

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Jurgen Klopp is like many managers: programmed not to overemphasise the contribution of individuals and instead stress the importance of the entire team. But however hard he tried, this proved impossible in the aftermath of Coutinho’s display on Saturday.

When asked for his thoughts on Coutinho’s starring performance against Palace, with a wry smile he replied, as reported by Kristian Walsh the Liverpool Echo: "Good football player. Very good football player.

"Everyone knew it before, I think. He's now 24. His work rate is outstanding. That's how it is. You can't be a genius every day. He's a proper football player. All good. That's how the boys are.”

Earlier in the season, after a 5-1 win over Hull City, Klopp called Coutinho's performance "perfect," as reported by John Richardson of the Daily Mirror.

At 24, Coutinho has become the player all teams crave: skilful, quick, comfortable on the ball and able to both score and make goals.

He also has that rare power to make the players around him even better.

An obvious talent under Brendan Rodgers, who brought him to Anfield in January 2013, Coutinho could often fade from games and struggled with consistency, but he has embraced Klopp’s methods, contributing to his pressing game and reaping the benefits of all the space and chances this inevitably creates for him.

The veterans of Liverpool’s title push from the 2013-14 season, such as Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard, are mostly long gone, but Coutinho remains, is three years older and is possibly better able to drive a team all the way to the title this time.

He contributed five league goals in 35 games in that campaign, but he already has four in just his first 10 matches this season.

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And likewise, he is set to significantly better his assists total this season, having already created four in 10 games set against the seven he made in the whole of the 2013-14 season.

With Coutinho in this form, Liverpool have also amassed both the joint-most goals (24) and the most shots on target (6.9) in the Premier League this season. 

It could be argued Coutinho has been directly responsible for around half of Liverpool's 23 points this season after his two goals against Arsenal turned a possible loss into a win, his assist for Lovren’s finish at Chelsea turned a possible draw into three points, his strike against West Bromwich Albion secured a win from what would have been a draw and his two assists at Crystal Palace helped turn a draw into a victory.

After fellow Brazilian Roberto Firmino had scored Liverpool’s decisive fourth in the second half to cap off their 4-2 win on Saturday, Coutinho danced with him and Mane in front of their travelling fans.

It is still early in the season, only 10 league games have been played, but Liverpool could be dancing with silverware next May, for they already boast growing belief, momentum and, above all, Coutinho.