09 December 2023 , 07:15
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The careers of Emmanuel Petit and Philippe Coutinho followed eerily similar paths, with the Frenchman insisting they had both made the same mistake.
Petit impressed in his three years at Arsenal, winning the Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season at the Gunners. He formed a fierce midfield partnership with Patrick Vieira, with the duo going on to win the World Cup with France at the end of Petit's debut campaign.
That was as good as it got for Petit while he was at Arsenal though, with the midfielder joining Barcelona, where he endured a miserable one-season spell before moving to Chelsea. Petit's career path was a forerunner to Coutinho, who secured a dream move to Barca after a brilliant spell with Liverpool.
Though he failed to win any silverware with the Reds, Coutinho was regarded as one of the best players in the Premier League. His £142million move to the Nou Camp did not work out though, with a combination of injuries and being out of favour stunting his career.
He was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich for the 2019/2020 campaign, winning the Champions League with the Bundesliga giants. While he suffered a nightmare in Spain, Liverpool were busy winning a raft of trophies.
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That led to Petit drawing a comparison between himself and the Brazilian, with Arsenal also having enjoyed great success after his exit. Back in 2020, the Frenchman urged the midfielder to seek a return to England.
"If I was Philippe Coutinho, every morning I would wake up and think to myself, 'Why, why, did I sign [for Barcelona ] in Spain?' And do you know why I say this?" Petit told Mirror Football at the time.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Philippe Coutinho ever get back to his best? Comment below.
Coutinho's star has faded, with his move to Aston Villa having failed to work out (Getty Images)"Because, I can remember the time when I'd wake up, when I was at Barcelona, when I left Arsenal, and I was thinking the same way, 'Why did I leave? Why did I leave? Why did I leave?'
"And to be honest with you I am sure Coutinho has been asking himself the same question for a while now. I'm pretty sure it would work out for him [returning to England]. He fits perfectly with the Premier League.
"He's got the vision, the technique, the speed, he can strike, he has the creativity. We all know what he is capable of. I was a big fan of his when he was at Liverpool. I would be very, very happy to see him back in the Premier League."
Coutinho took Petit's advice, joining Aston Villa on loan in January 2022, scoring five goals in 19 appearances. He made the move permanent that summer but struggled badly for form during Villa's difficult start to the season.
Steven Gerrard's sacking scuppered his hopes of holding down a place in the team, with new boss Unai Emery favouring alternative options. With little hope of regular game-time, Coutinho moved to the footballing graveyard of Qatar on loan in the summer.
He has started six games in all competitions for Al-Duhail so far, scoring three goals. But he has been hit by injury, forcing him to miss their last three games, with The Red Knights sitting fifth in the Qatari top-flight as Coutinho's career continues to fade.