Liverpool have so many attacking players of pace and quality they can make light of the absence of Philippe Coutinho and leave Daniel Sturridge on the bench for long periods. They would probably find it hard to be as effective without James Milner, though. The converted full-back is, as his spoof Twitter persona suggests, Mr Dependable. Now operating in a new position at the fifth Premier League club of his remarkable career, Milner will not have surprised anyone at the club he left to join Liverpool.
The former Manchester City player is so much more than a fill-in at full-back. Tasked with keeping Raheem Sterling quiet in this game, no easy job even if the winger rarely shines against his old side, Milner still found time to get up in support of the players ahead of him and distribute the ball with his usual reliability.
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