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LIVERPOOL, England – Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Just mentioning the name of the Liverpool defender is enough to trigger an avalanche of opinions about the strengths and weaknesses – and the best position – of the best right-back in the world, or the most overrated, depending on your perspective. And Liverpool’s 3-2 win over AC Milan in their opening Champions League group stage game was the night he gave both sides all the evidence they needed to back up. their argument.
Alexander-Arnold had some good times, including a deflected goal shot by Fikayo Tomori for Liverpool’s opening goal, and he had some bad ones, when he passed away to allow Milan to score twice in a row before half-time. One minute he was destroying the right, causing difficulties for the Milan defenders, but the next minute he was sprinting to get back into position as the Italians repeatedly found space to their left with Alexander-Arnold chasing shadows behind them.
In many ways, it was fun to watch. Alexander-Arnold is such a supreme athlete that he was generally able to get back to where he needed to be, just in time. But at some point he must iron out the flaws that continue to give his many detractors the ammunition with which to criticize and expose his shortcomings.
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If one excludes Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from the equation and the endless debate between the ultra-loyal fan bases of the two football superstars, it is a challenge to find a player who divides opinion as fiercely as the 22-year-old. which is, without a doubt, an absolutely crucial cog in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side. Alexander-Arnold is less important to England coach Gareth Southgate, who knocked out the Champions League winner from his side earlier this year and then deployed him to midfield in the recent Cup qualifier of the world against Andorra.
But the diametrically opposed positions taken by Klopp and Southgate perfectly sum up the debate on Alexander-Arnold. On the one hand, he’s a marauding winger whose right-footed delivery is one of the most powerful in the world game, but on the other hand, he’s a defender who too often goes AWOL for a player whose main role is to, well, defend yourself.
There were at least six key moments in this thrilling Group B encounter that showcased the good and the bad of Alexander-Arnold.
On the bright side of the ledger was his ninth-minute burst into the Milan penalty and his low shot, which buckled goalkeeper Mike Maignan for the opening goal. Then there was the copyright Alexander-Arnold cross from which Joel Matip fell directly into Maignan’s hands.
In the second half, he delivered a corner kick from the near post, misguided by Ismael Bennacer, which led to Jordan Henderson’s game-winning goal for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold also saved a 20-yard volley, and he started the movement from which Mohamed Salah – who received a penalty in the first half – made it 2-2 at the start of the second. half time.
But on the other hand, both Milan goals came from the area of Alexander-Arnold’s field. With the first, he lost Ante Rebic, giving the Croatian striker space to equalize against the run of the game. Two minutes later, Alexander-Arnold was caught off guard at the halfway line, leaving Rebic and the goalscorer. Brahim Diaz combine for Milan’s second goal. And just a minute after helping to score Henderson’s goal, Alexander-Arnold lost Rebic again, and was only spared the embarrassment of goalkeeper Alisson who left his line to refuse the Milan striker. .
It was crazy at times. Huge ups and downs seconds apart. But for Liverpool at least, Alexander-Arnold’s strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.
Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in 2019 and the Premier League title a year later owe a lot to his attacking qualities. In his day, he is truly unstoppable.
Because his defensive ability is not in the same league as his attacking play, however, a debate is now raging over his best position.
Southgate believes it could be in midfield, while former England captain Gary Lineker found himself embroiled in a Twitter disagreement with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher over the very subject. Lineker has suggested his offensive strength and passing range would be best deployed in midfield, with Carragher claiming he plays so far forward he’s already practically a midfielder, but is so much more valuable on the right.
Klopp, meanwhile, has no doubts about his best role: “Why would you want to make the best right-back in the world a midfielder? I don’t really understand that.”
But Alexander-Arnold is no doubt now a player without a defined position. Against Milan, and every time he plays for Liverpool he played so high on the right flank that it would be wrong to call him a right-back, especially since he also drifts inside towards the middle of ground. Liverpool seemed to play with a full-back three more often than not because their right-back – if that’s what he is – took on the role of a right-winger.
We have forwards crossing the offensive third. Maybe Alexander-Arnold is a new breed of full-back that drifts up and down, in and out, and you have to accept the rough with the smooth.
Although he maintains incredible energy levels that allow him to cover so much ground forward and back, Alexander-Arnold will remain a player who often makes Liverpool’s hearts beat. When he’s in song, they play in a frenzy of offensive waves that make him one of the favorites to win the Champions League.
But when he loses focus and finds himself 30 or 40 yards from his position, Liverpool become weaker and vulnerable and risk conceding too often against another Champions League contender – this is why the Alexander-Arnold debate will continue long after this victory. against Milan.
But one thing is certain: Klopp and Liverpool love him for who he is. As for those on the other side of the argument? Well, don’t expect them to change anytime soon, either.
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