LIVERPOOL, England – Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Just mention the name of the Liverpool defender to provoke an avalanche of opinion on the strengths and weaknesses (and the best position) of the best right winger in the world, or overrated, depending on your point of view. And Liverpool’s 3-2 win over AC Milan in the first group stage of the Champions League was the night it gave both sides all the evidence they needed to support their argument.
Alexander-Arnold had some great moments, including a deflected shot from Fikayo Tomori’s goal for Liverpool’s opening goal, and had some bad ones, when he went off to allow Milan to score twice quickly before the break. One minute he was knocking down the right, causing to have for the Milan defenders, but the next was running to return to his position, as the Italians repeatedly found space on the left with Alexander-Arnold chasing shadows behind they.
In many ways, it was fun to watch. Alexander-Arnold is such a supreme athlete that he was usually able to get back to where he needed to be, just in time. But at some point, he has to fix the flaws that continue to give his many detractors the ammunition with which to criticize and call out his shortcomings.
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If we take Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi out of the equation and the endless debate between the ultra-loyal fan bases of the two football superstars, it is a challenge to find any player who shares the opinion as fiercely as the 22-year-old . who is without a doubt an absolutely crucial gear in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team. Alexander-Arnold is less important for English coach Gareth Southgate, who left the Champions League winner in his squad earlier this year and then deployed him in midfield during the recent World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
But the diametrically opposed positions taken by Klopp and Southgate perfectly sum up the Alexander-Arnold debate. On the one hand, he is a full-back who distributes his right foot among the most powerful games in the world, but on the other hand, he is a defender who is fired too often for a player who plays the leading role, well, stand up for.
There were at least six key moments in this thrilling Group B match that showed the good and bad of Alexander-Arnold.
On the positive side of the general ledger, there was his nine-minute burst at the Milan penalty spot and the low shot, which beat goalkeeper Mike Maignan to score the first goal. Then there was the copyrighted Alexander-Arnold cross from which Joel Matip went directly into Maignan’s hands.
In the second half, he threw a corner near the post, little headed by Ismael Bennacer, which resulted in Jordan Henderson’s winning goal for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold also saved a 20-yard volley and started the play from which Mohamed Salah – who penalized a penalty in the first half – made it 2-2 early in the second half.
But, on the other hand, Milan’s two goals came from Alexander-Arnold’s field area. With the first, he lost to Ante Rebic, giving Croatia the advantage of space to equalize against the game race. Two minutes later, Alexander-Arnold was caught in the middle of the line, leaving Rebic and striker Brahim Diaz to combine with Milan’s second. And just a minute after helping to score Henderson’s goal, Alexander-Arnold lost Rebic again and goalkeeper Alisson only saved him the embarrassment that came out of his line to deny the Milan striker.
Sometimes it was crazy. Huge highs and lows a few seconds apart. But at least for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold’s strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.
Liverpool’s Champions League victory in 2019 and their Premier League title a year later are both due to their attacking qualities. In its day, it is truly unstoppable.
Because his defensive ability is not in the same league as his attacking game, however, his best position is now being debated.
Southgate believes he could be in the middle of the field, while former England captain Gary Lineker found himself engaged in a Twitter disagreement with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher over the same issue. Lineker suggested that his attacking strengths and passing range would be better deployed in midfield, with Carragher arguing that he plays so far that he is already virtually a midfielder, but that he is much more valuable on the right.
Meanwhile, Klopp has no doubt about his best role: “Why would you make the best right-back in the world a midfielder? I don’t really understand that.”
But Alexander-Arnold is probably a player without a definite position. Against Milan, and whenever he plays for Liverpool, he played so high on the right flank that it would be incorrect to call him a right winger, especially because he also drifts in the middle of the field. Liverpool looked like they were playing with their backs three times, because their right winger (if that’s what he is) played the role of right winger.
We have strikers going through the third striker. Perhaps Alexander-Arnold is a new breed of defense that drifts up and down, inside and out, and you have to accept the dirty with the smooth.
While he maintains the incredible levels of energy that allow him to travel so much ground back and forth, Alexander-Arnold will remain a player who is often the beat of Liverpool. When he’s singing, they play in a frenzy of waves of attack that makes them one of the favorites to win the Champions League.
But when he loses concentration and is out of position at 30 or 40 yards, Liverpool become weaker and more vulnerable and may give in too often to another Champions League candidate, which is why the debate over Alexander-Arnold will continue. long after that victory. against Milan.
But one thing is for sure: Klopp and Liverpool love him as he is. As for those on the other side of the plot? Well, don’t expect them to change soon either.