It took lower than three minutes of Liverpool’s win over Fulham on Sunday for Trent Alexander-Arnold to reveal the distinctive qualities that make him so necessary to Jurgen Klopp’s facet.
After 90 seconds, a looking cross from deep in his personal half which just about put Luis Diaz in behind. Quickly after that, one other which discovered him in house to assault on the suitable. Then, on the different finish, an inch-perfect cross from which the Colombian ought to have scored.
Alexander-Arnold’s most memorable contribution was after all the beautiful free-kick which later broke the impasse at Craven Cottage.
However, on his first Premier League begin since February following a knee damage, that good opening purpose was only one side of a efficiency which confirmed the transformative potential of his return.
“It is tremendous necessary,” Klopp mentioned of the 24-year-old’s comeback afterwards. “One of many taking pictures stars of this season is Conor Bradley, who performed the place and performed in just a few video games the place all of us thought, ‘Oh wow. What was that?’ However no one is like Trent.
“No person is like Trent.”
Actually, there may be no one able to replicating his interpretation of the right-back position on this workforce. The sight of Alexander-Arnold popping up in midfield is nothing new. It was one thing, although, to see the sheer number of positions he took up in opposition to Fulham.
Contemplate these early passes aimed in direction of Diaz.
The primary got here from the right-hand facet of Liverpool’s again three in possession, with left-back Andrew Robertson pushed ahead on the alternative flank. Nothing too uncommon there.
The second, although, was delivered from the centre of the again three, having swapped positions with right-sided centre-back Jarell Quansah to imagine a job akin to that of a quarterback.
This interchanging of positions with Quansah in possession turned a function of Liverpool’s efficiency on the day, the goal being to maximise Alexander-Arnold’s affect.
It labored. Alexander-Arnold had extra time on the ball and a broader vary of choices to goal at. In response to Opta’s superior metrics, he was concerned in additional open-play passing sequences than anybody else on the pitch regardless of lacking the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time.
“The supervisor has informed me to get into that place to attempt to get on the ball and discover these passes excessive,” Alexander-Arnold defined to Sky Sports activities afterwards.
However it was not nearly enjoying lengthy passes. At different occasions, he performed quick as an alternative. Within the instance under, within the sixteenth minute, he threads a intelligent disguised cross by way of to Diaz, who has additionally drifted inside, permitting Liverpool to assault by way of the centre.
And but, regardless of typically working from this new place on the base of the workforce, Alexander-Arnold nonetheless discovered time to roam into midfield, the place he helped to maintain stress, and in direction of the suitable facet, from the place he created that wonderful early probability for Diaz.
“I’ve described him previously as being like Kevin De Bruyne at right-back,” mentioned Sky Sports activities pundit Jamie Carragher afterwards. “I am taking a look at him at the moment considering he is acquired a free position.
“I feel there are a number of full-backs enjoying the position the place they’re going into midfield. They go there to get on the ball, they’re making an attempt to cease counter-attacks. However this feels a bit bit like he can go between the centre-backs, he can go into midfield, he can go vast.
“He can mainly go wherever the house is as a result of he has acquired such high quality on the ball.”
That high quality on the ball was significantly useful straight after half-time in opposition to Fulham, when the hosts had been in search of to construct on Timothy Castagne’s equaliser in first-half stoppage time.
Liverpool wanted cool-headedness to tilt the momentum again of their favour following that sucker-punch and it was noticeable how they regarded to Alexander-Arnold to produce it.
Certainly, practically 1 / 4 of his 74 tried passes got here within the eight-minute interval between the beginning of the second half and Ryan Gravenberch scoring Liverpool’s second.
Amongst them had been a shocking swap of play to seek out Robertson, a nonchalant lay-off for Diaz utilizing his chest, and a slide-rule cross by way of the traces to launch Gravenberch.
His confidence and composure on the ball put the workforce comfortable at an important level of the sport, whereas additionally sustaining their attacking impetus and making certain Fulham had been compelled onto the again foot.
The purpose, when it got here, owed quite a bit to Gravenberch’s particular person high quality but it surely was because of Alexander-Arnold that Liverpool had been capable of navigate that doubtlessly stormy interval and it was because of him, too, that they’d gone in entrance within the first place.
His free-kick, lifted into the highest nook in chic model, was one other instance of what Liverpool lacked with out him. When ending easy possibilities turns into a difficulty, because it had for Klopp’s facet lately, you want somebody who can convert the troublesome ones.
The purpose was his sixth from a direct free-kick within the Premier League, placing him behind solely Jamie Redknapp and Steven Gerrard amongst Liverpool gamers. It additionally took him to 100 purpose involvements for the membership, a rare tally for a right-back of solely 24 years outdated.
However then, his efficiency in opposition to Fulham was a reminder that he’s a lot greater than a right-back. Liverpool will want his management and high quality once more within the bear pit of Goodison Park, stay on Sky Sports activities on Wednesday, and within the video games remaining after that.
However their title hopes already look brighter now that he’s again. It took him lower than three minutes in opposition to Fulham to point out why.
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