Philippe Coutinho is already smiling as a Villain. The player, on loan at Aston Villa from Barcelona, made his debut against Manchester United, a team that was leading 0-2 before he came off the bench. And with him on the pitch, the home side managed to draw 2-2, with the Brazilian scoring the second goal.
After the game, the striker had a few words to say about his happiness: "I missed the Premier League and this kind of game. I'm very happy to be here with my new team-mates.
He also referred to the arrival of Brazilian player Christian Purslow, managing director of Aston Villa, speaking to 'Sky Sports': "We were in a Zoom meeting and that connection between Coutinho and Gerrard was so obvious.... We knew when we signed Steve that it would be important to improve our club and attract the best players.
"The signings of Coutinho and Digne came very quickly. We are happy to have them. Very soon Steven arrived with the possibility of getting Coutinho on loan. It's not usual to have a coach who has played with the player," he concluded.
January 16, 2022