Aston Villa's Jack Grealish decision proved right as £142m man erases fears

Aston Villa gave away a 3-1 lead to Leeds United on Wednesday and whilst the result itself may have been disappointing given the position they were in, the form of Philippe Coutinho offers a huge positive.

When the former £142 million man signed for Villa, the main issue sceptics outlined was whether or not Coutinho would be able to reach the previous heights he had displayed in the Premier League. However, his immediate form in a Villa shirt has addressed these doubts emphatically.

In just three appearances the Brazilian has recorded two goals and two assists, with the maestro looking likely to add to this tally in the near future.

From fancy flicks to perfectly weighted passes, the former Barcelona man was back to his very best against Leeds and the Villa Park faithful are now desperate to see more of him.

In 78 minutes of action he recorded two assists, one goal as well as leading the side for progressive carries and successful dribbles. He was the spark Villa needed in midfield as his first touch and awareness allowed him to skip past the Leeds defenders attempting to mark him to then go on and either create for his teammates or threaten the goal himself.

Speaking on the performance after the game, Steven Gerrard. stated: "If you don't like watching Philippe Coutinho then you should stop watching football because that (performance) was absolutely beautiful."

On several occasions Coutinho could be seen receiving the ball in midfield with his back to goal and a defender marking him, and on several occasions his technical ability shined through as he drifted away from his opponent with a neat turn or first touch.

Coutinho is exactly what Villa need in Gerrard's desired system of two inside forwards. His ability on