Under the radar: Why Philippe Coutinho should win PFA Player of the Year

On paper, Philippe Coutinho's numbers don't exactly jump out. Four goals and four assists in Premier League 30 appearances can make you wonder why Cesc Fabregas or Angel Di Maria weren't candidates for the PFA Player of the Year award.

However, no mistake should be made about the impact that Coutinho has made at Liverpool this season, and at the very least, he deserves to be in the discussion. He might not be a prolific scorer or rank incredibly high in key passes per game, but the 22-year-old is about as well-rounded of an attacking midfielder as a club could ask for.

Coutinho's abilities in one-on-one situation are among the best in the league. He ranks sixth in the Premier League in dribbles per game with an average of 3.0 - ahead of talented dribblers like Yannick Bolasie and Sergio Aguero - and that number obviously bodes well for a player who can take out an entire backline with a single pass.

Furthermore, Coutinho's defensive skills deserve a mention. His ruthlessness in pressing high up the pitch have caused Premier League sides a considerable amount of grief when it comes to playing out of the back. He's arguably an enhanced version of his Brazilian counterpart Oscar, who knows how to play solid defense as an attack-minded player.

And then there's the fact that Coutinho continues to step up when Liverpool need it most. He scored three goals in the club's run to the semifinals of the FA Cup, including the lone goal in their 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the quarterfinals. He scored the winner in Liverpool's 2-1 victory versus Manchester City. He notched two assists in his side's 2-0 win against West Ham.

Although Coutinho might be something of a hipster's choice to win the PFA Player of the Year award, give credit where credit is due.