#2 The main men step up
After a dull start to the game, Philippe Coutinho was fouled by Luka Milivojevic at 25 yards from goal. And what followed was what dreams are made of. Coutinho scored via a terrific curler to beat goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to put the Reds in front and in the process, entered double digits for goals in the league this season.
The goal woke up Liverpool as they started to find their rhythm and they should have scored another when Georginio Wijnaldum played a neat one-two with James Milner on the left side and then squared off the ball for Emre Can only for the German to horribly mishit it.
That lack of end-result from the attack proved costly as Joel Ward played a superb ball to free Yohan Cabaye on the right-wing. The Frenchman got ahead of Dejan Lovren, who was caught out in an advanced position. Cabaye took one look and delivered a first-time cross for Christian Benteke to finish with ease as Joel Matip was caught in no man’s land. It was Benteke’s sixth goal in eight games against Liverpool and his fourth at Anfield, showing he rejoices scoring against his former club.
