James, rightly, gets the plaudits this morning for his exquisite control and pass - the hallmark of a class footballer - but had Richarlison missed the chance, as he has so often done this season, we'd be saying James was quiet and had little impact. This is the point all season with James: he is a magnificent player, decisive, penetrative, and consequential, but if he is surrounded by poor quality or players ouf of form, well, there's only so much that he's going to be able to do.
Richarlison's control and finish were superb - but he hasn't been at it at all this season and we have suffered as a result. In some ways, James is a microcosm of Carlo, somebody who operates at an elite, rarefied level way above the standards of his colleagues and who, therefore, is always battling the odds - or at least will be until we can support him with players of better quality.