Milner got a deserved goal for a great shift he put in today
Midfield
Emre Can – We’ve been quite critical of Can for much of this season, but he was very, very good today. The question has been raised many times about what it is exactly that he does. But he showed us in spades against Villa. Strong in possession – and in the tackle – Can hunted Villa’s midfielders down with glee. He scored a great strike from outside the box, a goal that will now allow him to kick on. Rating – 7.5
Jordan Henderson – But where Can was energetic and strong, Henderson continues to look leggy and laboured. He was much better today than he’s been of late, but he was very much the odd one out. The captain wasn’t necessarily poor, his contribution just wasn’t very notable. His passing was somewhat sloppy at times and a bit of late show-boating failed to pay off. Going back to basics would help Jordan immensely, and he can do that now that Klopp is able to pair the attacking talents of his front three for a prolonged period. Rating – 6.5
James Milner – The 29 year old has begun to steadily improve of late and was once again very Dirk Kuyt-like today. Boundless energy and always making himself available for his team mates. His goal owed as much to Sakho putting Bunn off in the Villa goal but the fact he got such a wicked curve on the ball shows his technical quality. Let’s have some more of that please, James. 4 goals and 6 assists is looking like a decent contribution for a player who has begun to resemble the jack-of-all-trades he was at Manchester City. Rating – 7
