Table-toppers Liverpool are not a one-man team anymore

Liverpool lost their 100 percent win record and conceded their first goals of the season, but their draw against Swansea was enough to keep them on top of the points table for another week. The game also taught us a little bit more about the team and its new signings, given that manager Brendan Rodgers test drove Victor Moses and Mamadou Sakho. Liverpool are not as dependent on Luis Suarez as they were last year Daniel Sturridge has 17 goals in his last 21 games. He has scored 12 goals in his last 10 games. Since Suarez was banned for biting Ivanovic, Liverpool have won six of of their last eight games and lost none. They have scored 15 goals while conceding just three, and kept six clean sheets. [caption id=“attachment_1115065” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Phillipe Coutinho has becomes Liverpool’s creative inspiration. Reuters[/caption] Those are hardly the results of a team missing its best player. Moses showed pace and skill on the left wing, culminating in a well-taken goal, while Sakho was solid in defense, though it is clear he will need more time to get used to the pace of the Premier League. Rodgers has quietly built a team that passes well and is becoming more and more solid at the back. Suarez has the potential to elevate the team further, but it is clear Liverpool are more than the one-man team they appeared to be at times last season. Liverpool are not the same team without Phillipe Coutinho on the field If Liverpool no longer rely on Suarez as much as they used to, they are clearly becoming dependant on Coutinho to provide inventiveness and creativity in midfield. This was abundantly clear after he went off in the second half for a shoulder injury. The tweet below from FourFourTwo shows how much less of a threat Liverpool were going forward without the Brazilian.  Coutinho’s vision and quick feet not only allow him to unlock defenses, but also draw defenders to him, creating space for others. Without him, Liverpool are limited and struggled to assert themselves on a Swansea side that ended up dominating the second half. Suarez’s return could change that though, as he gives the team another creative outlet, though it remains to be seen how Rodgers will pair him with Sturridge. Liverpool are a team of two halves at the moment For some reason, Liverpool turn into a defensive team in the second half of games, relying on staunch and sometimes desperate defending to protect leads. Against Swansea, they were clearly handicapped going forward by Coutinho’s departure but this has been the pattern since the start of the season. They had Simon Mignolet to thank for saving a penalty in the first game, and it took a huge, collaborative effort to keep Manchester United from scoring in their last game, though United’s own lack of creativity helped too. If they are to win a spot in the top four, this is something Rodgers will have to fix sooner rather than later. Swansea could have won the game in the second half, and against better teams, Liverpool will be found out.