The Liverpool vice-captain helped England earn a 1-0 win at Euro 2024.
England raised the curtain on their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory over Serbia.
Jude Bellingham netted the only goal of the game in the 12th minute to earn the Three Lions all three points in Gelsenkirchen.
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold was handed a start by Gareth Southgate for the opening fixture. While he has almost exclusively operated as a right-back for the Reds, he was deployed in midfield alongside Declan Rice for England.
Alexander-Arnold featured for 69 minutes before he was substituted for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher. There were some doubts around 25-year-old’s role, with former Manchester United pair Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney worried about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive attributes ahead of the tournament.
The Liverpool vice-captain will be hoping he’s done enough to keep his berth when they face Denmark on Thursday. But how did those watching Alexander-Arnold at the Arena AufSchalke rate his performance?
It seems that the national media had a mixed take on Alexander-Arnold’s display. The Telegraph were most impressed as they gave him a 7/10 and commented: “The odd mistake is worth the risk as he brings so much to the game with his switches of play and range of passes that others cannot see.”
Both the Guardian and the Independent handed Alexander-Arnold a 6/10 score. The former said: “Pressed well in first half but lucky Mitrovic did not punish a mistake. Lacked control.”
iNews’ Mark Douglas also handed the Anfield academy product a 6/10 and commended: “Playing him in the midfield is Southgate doing what was asked and taking the handbrake off. I’m yet to be convinced he doesn’t give the ball away too easily to be the answer throughout the tournament.”
But the Daily Mail have Alexander-Arnold just a 5/10 and claimed the experiment in midfield failed. The comment said: “Some good, some bad. More so of the latter, unfortunately. His mistake almost led to a Serbia goal in the first half and his passing surrendered possession on a couple of occasions. There were a couple of lovely balls to spring the likes of Saka clear, but on the whole this midfield experiment did not work.”
