They may wear Nos. 11 and 10, respectively, but they are false nine and genuine nine, Red and Blue, who sum up the differences between Liverpool and Everton. Roberto Firmino is the striker who isn't really a striker. Romelu Lukaku is the out-and-out centre-forward. The Brazilian cost £29 million, the Belgian £28 million. Jurgen Klopp has pronounced himself amazed Liverpool managed to sign Firmino at such a cost. Ronald Koeman rather undiplomatically suggested Lukaku might outgrow Everton and gravitate toward Barcelona or Bayern Munich.
If it rendered Lukaku part of the problem at Everton when the disconnect between fans and manager grew before Tuesday's win against Arsenal and where the sense was that potential was going unrealised, Firmino has been the solution for Liverpool, the man who epitomises a team of tireless runners defined by their attacking midfielders.