Liverpool moved a step closer to the Premier League title with a 2-0 win over Manchester City, but Trent Alexander-Arnold will be relieved his side were victorious given his poor display at the Etihad. The English right-back has starred for Arne Slot’s Reds this season, and stunning showings have explained why Real Madrid are showing interest in signing him in the summer.
The 26-year-old played an important role in Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike in the 37th minute, starting the brilliant move that finished with the Hungarian midfielder putting the visitors two-nil ahead. The magnificent Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring in the 14th minute on a day that saw the Merseyside giants move ten points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Liverpool were impressive and showed the characteristics of champions with their win away to defending champions City. Slot will have worn a huge smile after the final whistle, although he might not be too pleased with Alexander-Arnold’s display
Alexander-Arnold Stood Out Like A Sore Thumb In City Win
‘Is Alexander-Arnold good enough defensively?’ This question is constantly thrown around the Premier League punditry world, forcing Slot’s predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, to go on the defensive in January. There’s no doubt Liverpool’s vice-captain is one of the best ball-playing players in world football; in fact, Glenn Hoddle will tell you he’s the cream of the crop.
The glamour of his playmaking profile was overshadowed by a defensive disaster at the Etihad, though, one that saw him become the first player to be dribbled past more than 10 times in a Premier League game since the 2015-16 season. In such a high-profile game, this is a worrying statistic that once again doubts his dependency
Alexander-Arnold was the Reds’ worst performer on the day, winning just three of 14 duels (two of 13 ground duels and one aerial duel), and he was wasteful in possession, losing the ball 17 times. City’s Jeremy Doku gave him a torrid time and forced a similarly shaky performance to the one he put in against Manchester United (2-2) in January.
Dee sports marked him as the worst-performing Liverpool player with a 5.5/10 rating, and the Express similarly gave a 5/10 rating, GOAL was less so with a 3/10 verdict, explaining that he ‘looked so shaky defensively that Doku left him on the ground, and Salah had to rush in behind to help the Reds recover’.
Slot has trusted the Madrid target throughout the season, but there may be a concern over his reliability in matches of the magnitude of a visit to the Etihad. Conor Bradley has been impressing when filling in for Alexander-Arnold, and he could be knocking on the door if his manager feels a more defensive-minded right-back is required, such as in his side’s UEFA Champions League last 16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain.
