Southampton 0 Liverpool 2 player ratings: Philippe Coutinho? Raheem Sterling? Who was the star man at St Mary's?

Liverpool moved to within two points of fourth with the win

Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho strikes the opening goal against Southampton (GETTY IMAGES)

A moment of outstanding quality from Philippe Coutinho set Liverpool on their way to a 2-0 victory at St Mary’s in an insipid match.

If fans had been hoping that Coutinho’s third minute wonder strike was the beginning of a thrilling encounter they were sorely disappointed. Considering this was a clash between two contenders to represent England in the Champions League one might have hoped for more quality in the final third, even in the driving range.

Both sides gave the ball away much too often and were guilty of sloppy decision making. What appeared to be a smartly worked short free-kick between Morgan Schneiderlin and Filip Djuricic ended with the ball rolling out harmlessly for a goal-kick, an apt summary of a toothless attacking performance by Southampton.

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For much of the match Liverpool were not much better, looking unlikely to add to their early goal. But the introduction of Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno brought menace to the visitor’s attack and they were rewarded when a well-taken finish by Raheem Sterling put the game beyond Liverpool.​