A good litmus test of an individual, alongside their attitude to animals and whether they watched the coronation, is their opinion of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
For many, Alexander-Arnold is a generational talent capable of vision and invention that far exceeds anything seen in English football this century.
But others have a slightly different view of the Liverpool full-back. Focusing joylessly on his flaws, rather than appreciating his strengths, they label him a fraud. A defensive liability. Somebody that’s been over-rated because of the inherent Liverpool bias in the print media.
Of course, Alexander-Arnold has been caught napping at the back like an elderly prison warden after a heavy lunch. That’s why Jurgen Klopp has moved his prime creative outlet into midfield with stunning results.
Since Arsenal visited Anfield on April 9, the 24-year-old has provided the most assists in the Premier League. And created the most chances. And made the most passes in the opposition half, won the most possession and recorded the most touches.
It’s no coincidence that Liverpool are enjoying their best run of form all season as Alexander-Arnold’s influence has grown, as demonstrated by one jaw-dropping pass during Saturday’s victory over Brentford.
Faced with opposition defending deeper than a Sam Allardyce side facing 1970 Brazil, the full-back reached into his pocket and withdrew the Swiss army knife needed to prise Brentford apart.
On this occasion, the corkscrew manifested itself as a gorgeously lofted pass that rendered the Brentford defence irrelevant. Caught ball-watching, staring at the mystery orb as if a UFO had descended on Merseyside, they completely neglected to follow the run of Darwin Nunez.
Okay, Nunez missed the opportunity to extend Liverpool’s lead. But only a footballing philistine will allow that to detract from Alexander-Arnold’s genius.
Trent’s passing scares me… pic.twitter.com/PUDY4JKfmj
— VisualGame (@avisualgame) May 6, 2023
“If Trent plays midfield, he probably saves Liverpool £100m,” Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports viewers.
“His role from midfield in the second half against Arsenal was almost like a Steven Gerrard performance, where he was a bit everywhere and there was a lot of running involved.
“Trent has provided quality from an unconventional full-back position – he plays the role differently. But, for me, watching him in midfield, getting more involved, running the game, I think this is almost perfect…
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