He’s been Liverpool’s essential supply of creativity for a while, however 2021/22 was the season Trent Alexander-Arnold took his sport to new ranges.
It’s straightforward to overlook how younger Liverpool’s No. 66 nonetheless is, such is his affect on Jurgen Klopp‘s workforce.
On the age of 23, Alexander-Arnold has now gained each single main trophy out there to him together with his boyhood membership, after finishing his assortment with the League Cup and FA Cup final season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, 2021/22
Began: 47 (All competitions)
On as an alternative: 0
Unused sub: 5
Objectives: 2
Assists: 19
General Season Score: 9.12
Mr. Irreplaceable
This was Alexander-Arnold’s finest season but and the numbers again it up.
It solely took him till early March to move his earlier season-best assists file of 15 throughout all competitions. He’d go on to register 4 extra earlier than the tip of the marketing campaign. All from right-back.
Mohamed Salah was the one Premier League participant to offer extra assists than Alexander-Arnold within the competitors final season.
He’ll wish to enhance on his aim tally, particularly as he takes the overwhelming majority of Liverpool’s free kicks, however the targets he lays on for others greater than make up for that.
There was additionally a slight tweak to his place to permit him to have an effect on video games from central areas extra typically.
“After all he’s nonetheless within the right-back place to defend particularly, then he’s a proper winger, then he’s an eight, a six, a playmaker,” Klopp mentioned of his No. 66 in December.
Alexander-Arnold’s affect on this workforce is stronger than ever. Some would possibly argue that he has change into Liverpool’s most essential determine.
Gamers with the standard of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Salah will at all times be missed once they’re not within the workforce, however they will at the very least get replaced by gamers with comparable attributes.
The identical can’t be mentioned when Alexander-Arnold is lacking. When he doesn’t play, Liverpool lose their essential inventive outlet, with Joe Gomez, Neco Williams and even James Milner having sizeable sneakers to fill.
He’s a really distinctive expertise and there’s no like-for-like substitute.
That’s one thing Liverpool have regarded to handle this summer season, with the imminent arrival of Calvin Ramsay.
Alexander-Arnold’s significance to this workforce can’t be understated.
The ‘can’t defend’ fantasy
“If anyone says to me Trent can’t defend, they need to come to me, I’ll knock them down. Truthfully, I can’t hear that anymore. I don’t know what the boy has to do!”
That was Klopp after Alexander-Arnold saved the very energetic Gabriel Martinelli quiet when the Reds beat Arsenal to achieve the Carabao Cup last in January.
It was simply certainly one of quite a lot of astute defensive shows from Alexander-Arnold in 2021/22. Consequently, these lazy claims that he’s not a great defender now barely have a leg to face on.
He was stable within the FA Cup semi-final vs. Man City in addition to each Wembley conferences with Chelsea.
And Liverpool saved 32 clear sheets all through the season, Alexander-Arnold was on the pitch for 25 of these.
There’s an acceptance that Liverpool’s type of play brings its personal dangers, particularly for Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. That was evident within the Champions League last, when Actual Madrid broke away and Vinicius Jr scored the winner on Alexander-Arnold’s facet of the pitch.
As a rule, although, the superior positions he takes up will result in good issues for Liverpool. It has change into a key element of this workforce.
Not England’s, although. “Why make one of the best right-back on the planet a midfielder?” was Klopp’s very legitimate query after Gareth Southgate deployed Alexander-Arnold in midfield in a World Cup qualifier in opposition to Andorra in September.
“I don’t know anyone who’s like Trent. Who’s a right-back and is that decisive and influential and all these form of issues,” Klopp added after that victory on the Emirates in January.
“I actually don’t like at all times once they point out his defending, ‘defensively he’s not that good, however he’s offensively higher’.
“The package deal of Trent is insane.”
A brand new problem subsequent season?
Klopp has by no means actually had the luxurious of with the ability to relaxation and rotate Alexander-Arnold.
Williams has emerged as Liverpool’s second-choice right-back in recent times, however not one which has been relied upon on the largest levels. After a profitable mortgage spell at Fulham, within the second half of final season, he’s anticipated to maneuver on looking for common video games this summer season.
The likes of Milner and Gomez have additionally been used as makeshift right-backs, however the signing of Ramsay ought to assist ease Alexander-Arnold’s workload subsequent season after exceeding 40 membership video games in every of his final 4 campaigns.
It’s believed the membership view the younger Scotsman as a participant who will have the ability to function in quite a lot of positions on the suitable facet of the pitch, and have been interested in his passing vary and technical skill.
However it’s having one other good right-back choice that can have actually appealed to Klopp. Ramsay is an attacking full-back who, at simply 18 years of age, registered 9 assists in all competitions final season, and is clearly a participant Liverpool see thriving of their surroundings.
You solely must look to the alternative facet of the defence to see why having two stable full-back choices might be helpful. After a troublesome first season for causes out of his management, Kostas Tsimikas supplied glorious back-up to Robertson in 2021/22.
Klopp has no qualms utilizing Tsimikas in a few of Liverpool’s largest matches and might be hoping a signing like Ramsay will give him extra alternatives to take his No. 66 out of the limelight when needed.
Ramsay may be very unlikely to threaten Alexander-Arnold’s standing as first-choice right-back, although. The West Derby-born full-back is not a boy on this workforce and, having gained all there’s to win for Liverpool, ought to now be thought-about certainly one of Klopp’s extra skilled performers.
The Scouser in our workforce is simply getting higher.
Greatest second: Profitable the FA Cup and finishing his assortment of all six main trophies with Liverpool.
Worst second: Watching Vinicius Jr rating the successful aim within the Champions League last on his facet of the pitch.
Function subsequent season: Proceed to enhance his sport amid the probability of contemporary competitors from a brand new arrival at right-back.
