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Trent Alexander-Arnold proved what it’s all about with a wonderful assist when Liverpool crushed a poor Arsenal side in the Premier League.
It’s all about timing, ball control and precision swing. Like a glorious golf shot, the perfect cross in soccer is beyond many players, but Trent Alexander-Arnold hits the ball with such rhythm, whip, and plunge that Not surprisingly, he celebrated Liverpool’s first game against Arsenal as if he had headed the ball into goal himself.
It’s The Masters next week in Augusta.
This clash at the Emirates Stadium was a reminder of last season’s Premier League masters in full flow, or at least that was the case for the last half hour, because the first 60 minutes were so monotonous that the tape needs to be cleaned. right away and never discuss it again. The Arsenal players, defeated 3-0, would like the entire game to be erased from memory, as they were abject from the first whistle to the last.
Alexander-Arnold had been quite lively before the breakthrough came, and James Milner owed him a better shot from the precise cut that the veteran Liverpool midfielder hit in the 35th minute. Milner fired wide from the left post.
But in a game between two teams whose seasons haven’t lived up to expectations, it was a flash of awe that reminded visitors of how they became champions with 99 points last season. Gareth Southgate removed Alexander-Arnold from his England team a fortnight ago, so this will inevitably be construed as some kind of response.
But it was really just Alexander-Arnold doing Alexander-Arnold stuff. He makes chances and scores, useful attributes for a right back. And when there is very little real defense to do, as was the case against a terrible Arsenal team, Alexander-Arnold is a world champion.
Diogo Jota, the player at the end of that game-changing crossover on Saturday, later described the delivery as “unreal.” Jurgen Klopp, who was stunned by the international omission of the full-back, he said he “showed his class again.”
When not everything is going to plan for the 22-year-old, having strong defensive coverage can cover his weaknesses, and with Liverpool suffering a back injury crisis this season, Alexander-Arnold has not been able to count on Virgil. van Dijk, Joel Matip or Joe Gomez got him out of trouble.
So the impact of his handful of mistakes has been magnified and the scrutiny reached its climax when Southgate decided that he should miss the first World Cup qualifiers.
Since the beginning of last season, Alexander-Arnold has created 172 chances in all club competition and has had 21 assists. At each count, those are the highest number among the defenders of the five best leagues in Europe. In the same period, he has made four errors that have resulted in shots and two that have cost Liverpool goals. Some would accept that ratio.
Gary Lineker, who knows a thing or two about being at the bottom of the crossovers for England, thinks Southgate was wrong to drop Alexander-Arnold.
“@TrentAA’s perfect response to his strange omission from the @England team,” Lineker wrote on Twitter Saturday night. “It’s been brilliant tonight. You can’t leave it at home in the summer. You just can’t.”
The Euro 2020 final is sure to attract Alexander-Arnold, and group rivals England, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Scotland will surely be delighted if he stays at home.
Jota gave Alexander-Arnold a goal after coming off the bench just after the hour, and the sublime cross from the right that found the forward on the edge of the six-yard box was a forward’s dream.
Liverpool continues to chase fourth place, with Chelsea’s loss to West Brom earlier in the day, a huge blessing for the Reds.
Mohamed Salah and Jota, with their second, finished off a lousy Arsenal who had just three attempts at goal in 90 minutes, and Mikel Arteta’s men can already be counted out of the race for the Champions League places.
Gary Neville, commenting for Sky Sports, condemned a “really lurid performance” by Arsenal, adding: “It’s the worst I’ve seen them in a moment.”
Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Martin Odegaard started as the hosts, and Pepe was the only one of the quartet to get a shot.
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp called Arsenal’s performance “putrid”, and Arteta would likely agree. This was their toughest home loss to Liverpool in the league.
The day Liverpool’s reign as Premier League champions ended, it is not possible for it to catch up with Manchester City this season, this was a reminder of how Klopp’s men can beat weak opposition.
Go on now, to face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. The champions of Spain will know everything about Alexander-Arnold, who would have been a phenomenal complement to Roberto Carlos in his day. Now they just have to stop it.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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