Philippe Coutinho raised many an eyebrow during the first half of Liverpool’s Premier League victory with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The Brazilian playmaker is usually noted for his technical, dynamic attacking play, but it was a piece of ingenious defending that caught the eye on this occasion.

Coutinho was spotted kneeling behind Liverpool’s wall as the hosts defended a Christian Eriksen free-kick, out of the taker’s sight, in the 34th minute of play with his own side 2-0 up.

The 24-year-old crouched down and held one leg outstretched, covering as much ground as possible, in order to block any attempt by Eriksen to go underneath the Liverpool wall.

Commentators and social media users alike remarked that they had never seen such a tactic employed before, but Coutinho may have taken inspiration from an international team-mate.

The same trick was used by Marcelo, the Real Madrid full-back, during Brazil’s 3-0 friendly win over Argentina last November – a game in which Coutinho played.

Liverpool vs Tottenham player ratings Show all 23 1 /23 Liverpool vs Tottenham player ratings Liverpool vs Tottenham player ratings Liverpool vs Tottenham player ratings LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp Manager of Liverpool with Mauricio Roberto Pochettino of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on October 27, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) John Powell Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Tottenham player ratings Alisson - 6 out of 10 Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - October 27, 2019 Liverpool's Alisson before the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. 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Marcelo was spotted kneeling behind the wall as Lionel Messi lined up a free-kick in the first half of Argentina’s victory.

Nor was it Marcelo’s invention, though. The trick is seen semi-regularly in Brazilian football, with one of memorable attempt coming from Ponte Preta in a 2014 Copa do Brasil clash against Parana.