Page 33 - Soccer360 Issue 105

RIGHT:
Trent Alexander- Arnold has gone from attacking full-back to outstanding playmaker
HIGHLIGHT
REEL
Stephen Donovan looks back at some of Trent Alexander Arnold’s standout moments to date
OLD TRAFFORD DEBUT
He had already turned out for Liverpool in the cup competitions, but Trent Alexander-Arnold was handed his first Premier League start at the so-called Theatre of Dreams in January 2017. It was a selection that surprised many, but he performed assuredly and showed glimpses of his talent in a 1-1 draw.
A CREATIVE CORNER
Liverpool pulled off the most phenomenal of comebacks to beat Barcelona in the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals, and Alexander- Arnold’s amazing piece of quick thinking led to the winner. With the Barca defence having switched off, he turned back and played an improvised corner kick to the waiting Divock Origi, who fired high into the net. The Reds went on to defeat Premier League rivals Tottenham in the final.
PREMIER LEAGUE PRIZES
Liverpool blew away the competition to lift their first Premier League title in 30 years in 2019-20, and Alexander-Arnold was one of the main driving forces with his displays at right-back. Matching his own record of 12 Premier League assists which he had set the previous season, he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.
ASSIST KING
Alexander-Arnold holds several records when it comes to assists from a full-back position, but one of the most impressive arrived in April 2023 when he became the first player in Premier League history to claim assists in five consecutive matches, in Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Tottenham. He had previously achieved the feat in August 2019.
MAN CITY SILENCED
In 2023-24 Alexander-Arnold has taken up increasingly advanced positions in general play, and he used his ball-striking technique to perfection in the crucial meeting with title rivals Manchester
City in November. His sweet low shot from outside the box found the bottom corner, and he put his finger to his lips in celebration as the Reds secured a 1-1 draw.
Halaand with the Gerd Muller Trophy
“ALEXANDER-
ARNOLD HAS TAKEN
THE FIRST STEPS
TOWARDS BEING AN
ALL-OUT MIDFIELDER
IN 2023-24.”
the age of 23 years and 219 days.
Despite all that, his influence in the Liverpool team has arguably never been more
sizeable than it is right now, in 2023-24. With club stalwarts such as Firmino, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Fabinho having all left in the summer, Klopp was tasked with rebuilding and reinventing his side. And even with the arrival of technically gifted midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, so much of Klopp’s gameplan revolves around Alexander- Arnold.
Still nominally the right-back, he now has the licence to take up positions all over the park, frequently stepping into the midfield. He’s far from the first full-back to have this kind of free role, but it’s fair to say that none can boast quite the same passing range, and
this season Alexander-Arnold has unleashed his full repertoire.
So many of Liverpool’s attacks are initiated by one of his sensational long passes, which have become customary but continue to draw gasps of appreciation, with the equally irrepressible Salah often the beneficiary.
As well as starting moves, he plays a huge part in finishing them off, appearing in advanced positions to collect his usual supply of assists and increasingly get on
the scoresheet himself - with one standout moment being his well-taken equaliser in the 1-1 draw with title rivals Manchester City in November.
It is all backed up by the stats. Up until the end of January 2024, Alexander-Arnold had made more passes into the final third than any other Premier League player in 2023-24,
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