Coutinho enjoys dream Aston Villa debut

Philippe Coutinho enjoyed a dream Aston Villa debut on Saturday after making his first appearance with the Premier League side since completing his loan move from Barcelona.

The Brazilian started the game at Villa Park on the bench but was introduced on 68 minutes with the hosts 2-0 down thanks to a Bruno Fernandes brace.

Coutinho’s arrival sparked a fine response from Aston Villa, and the new arrival had a hand in Jacob Ramsey’s goal 10 minutes after coming on to make it 2-1.

Things then got even better for the Barcelona loanee four minutes later when he netted the equalizer with a close-range finish at the far post just 14 minutes on the pitch.

The goal saw Villa snatch a point against Ralf Rangnick’s side and should give Coutinho a much-needed confidence boost after a tough time at Barcelona.

Manager Steven Gerrard will certainly be hoping he can get the best out of Coutinho who shone so brightly in his last spell in the Premier League with Liverpool.

Coutinho’s loan deal with Aston Villa does include a option to buy with reports claiming the price is around €40 million.