As captain, number 66 gave an interview to the BBC after the match. Back in the studio, the panel highlighted his positive contributions, especially the (unofficial) goal assist. But talk inevitably turned to his defensive shortcomings.
We’ve seen a lot of great things from Trent Alexander-Arnold and there have been a few instances where he’s been able to make an impact defensively,” said Gary Lineker. The montage of right-back action includes two clips of Gabriel Martinelli running down Liverpool’s right flank, with Konate saving the danger on both occasions. At least Lineker said so. “Do we sometimes look for and exaggerate Trent’s defensive mistakes?” These questions help you get to know yourself. But anyone looking at the game’s stats can come to the same conclusion. Alexander-Arnold has been Liverpool’s most tried dribbler as he has featured in six of their last ten league games, he played he started. Yes, he sometimes dribbles wide, but that’s mainly because he’s a goal-oriented player. Guess what? Midfielders in the Premier League are generally very good at dribbling. But there is another key element that needs to be addressed in this never-ending debate.
Alexander-Arnold’s success against dribblers has worsened of late and it seems clear why.It is worth noting that his Premier League career has not matched that of his more famous peers. The Liverpool defender won 60.0% of the players who signed him in England’s top flight, a figure lower than Kyle Walker (75.6), Reece James (73.7) and Kieran Trippier (65.5). But like all players, they fluctuate. Last season, Walker’s goal success rate was just 39.4% and it’s safe to say that this drop has not had a significant impact on Manchester City. Trippier, meanwhile, has seen his success in this area diminish with each passing season at Newcastle, with his current club performance (61.0) matching that of Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday was a fantastic display of football that generated plenty of excitement. The hosts dominated the first half and missed some good chances, but the visitors did more after the break.
The initial focus of televised analysis was on Trent Alexander-Arnold during the day, which was not unusual. And that was before news broke that he would be out for at least three weeks after suffering a knee problem during the game.
Alexander-Arnold was the only player to dribble twice down both sides, with 12 players doing so at least as often.
But this ignores an important point that was also overlooked in the post-game video.
