Liverpool news: Mark Schwarzer makes HUGE Philippe Coutinho claim after Man City victory
LIVERPOOL’s front three have benefitted from Philippe Coutinho’s January departure.
That’s the surprise belief of former Middlesbrough, Fulham and Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
The Reds’ electric front three of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have 77 goals between them this season with the latter duo having both scored in their mid-week Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Manchester City.
That win at Anfield puts Liverpool in a strong position to reach the semi-finals of the competition while a second straight top-four finish in the Premier League is also in touching distance thanks to a 10-point lead over fifth-placed Chelsea with just six games left.
And Coutinho’s £142million move to La Liga three months ago - after which some suggested Liverpool’s season could fall apart at the seams - has actually turned out to help Jurgen Klopp’s men, according to Schwarzer.
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If anything, Coutinho leaving has been a blessing in disguise. I think those three have played even better since he left.
“Liverpool have been in evolution for a long, long time,” said the former Premier League keeper.
“With Jurgen Klopp now at the helm they’ve progressively gotten better with every season.
“This season they’ve stepped up again in terms of performance and obviously the link-up now with Salah, Mane and Firmino up front.
“If anything, Coutinho leaving has been a blessing in disguise. I think those three have played even better since he left.”
Liverpool are the only Premier League team to have beaten City this season and have now done so twice, prompting suggestions they could push Pep Guardiola’s side for the title next term.
But Schwarzer believes the Merseyside club still have work to do to rival City over a 38-game campaign, although acknowledged the signs are promising.
“They don’t have the squad that Manchester City have,” Schwarzer added.
“City are able to play at a certain level consistently for the course of the season because of the number of players they have at that level. Liverpool are still working towards that.
“They’ve shown, on isolated moments or even more so than isolated times, that they can match it against the best at the moment and City are the best at the moment.
“In a cup competition, even over two legs, they are showing that they can knock out one of the best teams in the world at the moment.”