I'll try some "ratings" without the numbers – this was such a team effort I feel almost sorry to "grade" the players, so here are just some observations:
Mignolet – somehow less decisive than previous games, hard to say if he should have come out for Aguero's chance, but there were a couple of other incidents when he wasn't as quick off his line as we were used to seeing. Hope it's just a blip.
Can – somewhat uneven game from him, like when he played Zabaleta (I think) onside when other 2 CBs stepped up. But he is a leader and a fighter. Maybe RCB is actually his best position?
Skrtel – almost perfect
Lovren – lots of little things to nitpick, but overall not too bad. Like other players I think he benefits from more coaching time and getting used to his teammates; I like that in 2nd half he started passing directly to Coutinho whereas in the first half he was just giving the ball away.
Hendo – considering that he was playing on injections, this was a great captain's performance and I'm not too bothered about a few loose passes here and there. I think he'll probably edge Can for the captaincy next season.
Allen – what a fucking great performance! I really, really hope this means he is finally coming out of his shell; we'll be a stronger team with this kind of Joe Allen in midfield, please keep it up Joe!
Moreno – I still have some remnants of skepticism towards him, but little by little he is winning me over. Good against Besiktas, and quite decent yesterday.
Markovic – I was afraid people would be too harsh on him, but fortunately it seems most people are willing got be patient with him. He is an intelligent player who is also very physically gifted. I have no doubt he will improve And that's "dink" of a pass for Lallana was spectacular.
Coutinho – does anyone still question me comparing him with Zidane? In truth it's really hard to find a good comparison for Phil among the players of the past, but his ceiling as a player is so fucking high that you kind of have to use the best of the best as a benchmark for him or you'll be doing him a disservice. I think having gone through a crucial part of his football development in Italy, he has adopted the kind of combination of directness and tactical intelligence that's being the hallmark of great Serie A playmakers from Baggio to Kaka and the great Zidane himself. Where Spanish players pass and pass and pass, Italian playmakers always look for a through-ball to play to a striker in front of them. Italian game is a lot more "vertical." So in that sense there is actually more in common between Serie A and EPL than Spain and EPL and Coutinho's quick adaptation is a testament to that. I just love watching him play when he's on song and nothing makes me happier than seeing him score, especially score the way he did in the last 2 games. You can defend against through-balls and crosses, but you can't defend against this type of goal and that's why players who can do this often score the most crucial goals, the kind of goals that win you evenly-matched games and potentially win trophies.
Lallana – incredible piece of skill for the first offside goal, love his combination of industry, creativity and technique. If you could only add a bit of pace to Lallana, he would be a genuine European superstar. Worth 25M or not, I'm glad to have him here.
Sterling – not at his best, but still a good performance. As a fan I feel so lucky to watch players like him and Coutinho every week.
Sturridge – looked a lot sharper and hungrier than midweek, unlucky not to score. I hope he received the message that you always have to earn your place in this team.
