The year 2021 won’t go down as a vintage one in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s career.
Liverpool’s marauding right-back didn’t add to his trophy collection with his boyhood club and found himself the subject of a national debate after being cast aside by England manager Gareth Southgate.
After battling his way back into the national team set-up, a thigh injury wrecked his European Championship dream just over a week before the tournament and he had to sit and watch as Southgate’s side came within a penalty shootout of winning the final on home soil.
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Yet faced with adversity following a near-seamless rise to stardom, his standing was certainly enhanced in the eyes of Jurgen Klopp. His Liverpool manager was impressed by how he maturely handled everything that was thrown at him.
Alexander-Arnold had taken on greater responsibility on the run-in as he helped Liverpool salvage Champions League qualification from a troubled title-defence season and since August he’s been integral to their continued resurgence.
It’s no wonder he was added to the club’s expanded leadership group when the players voted in the summer following the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain.
Alexander-Arnold commands respect, and is a future Liverpool captain. He’s ending a challenging 2021 performing with the kind of swagger that whets your appetite for what he will achieve in 2022.
Once again, he has Premier League and Champions League glory in his sights. There’s also the small matter of the World Cup in Qatar, which has its final a year from tomorrow. Southgate may have an array of options but recent months have added weight to the argument that there isn’t a more complete right-back anywhere on the planet, let alone in England.
With seven assists and now two goals in 15 league outings so far, Alexander-Arnold has already equalled his tallies for 36 top-flight appearances over the whole of last season. He’s on course to break his own Premier League record of 13 assists for a defender that he set in 2019-20.
In all competitions, his numbers are further enhanced this season by three assists in the group stage of the Champions League and another three in as many World Cup qualifiers.
His influence on Klopp’s team is immense. So much of their best work stems from his feet and his double act with Mohamed Salah down the right continues to wreak havoc.
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Against Newcastle United last night, Alexander-Arnold had 113 touches — only Jordan Henderson (124) had more on either team. He completed 64 of his 84 passes (76.2 per cent) and provided 10 crosses. With three key passes, he was the most creative force on the pitch.
Defensively, there were three interceptions and the crucial last-ditch challenge on Ryan Fraser that denied Newcastle an equaliser midway through the second half. It came at a time in the game when Liverpool had lost their way.
(Photo: Newcastle United/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
“It was a great tackle, but I hate those situations,” says Klopp. “We should have sorted that earlier. It should not come to a situation where Trent has to make a sliding tackle from the wrong side.”
Liverpool lost their Scouse heartbeat when Steven Gerrard brought the curtain down on his Anfield career in 2015 but Alexander-Arnold quickly restored it as he made his first-team breakthrough the following year. Both are generational talents.
The manner in which Alexander-Arnold killed off Newcastle late on was certainly reminiscent of Gerrard in his prime. The technique, the precision, the power as the ball flew from his right boot and arrowed past Martin Dubravka from 25 yards out in front of the Kop.
— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) December 16, 2021Trent Alexander-Arnold with an absolute rocket to seal the win for #LFC 🚀
(And Mike Dean has done well to get out of the way there!)#LIVNEW
“I’ve been waiting for that for five years now, waiting to hit it clean like that,” beamed Alexander-Arnold. “I’ve had a few from the edge of the box and I’ve dragged them and things like that. I’ve caught that one sweet and it’s nestled in the top corner.”
Remarkably, seven of Alexander-Arnold’s 10 Premier League goals have come from outside the box (70 per cent). The only Liverpool player to have reached double figures in the competition with a higher share from distance is Xabi Alonso with 11 out of 14 (79 per cent).
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“Absolutely crazy goal,” raved Klopp. “His shooting technique is really different level and really cool to watch. In a situation like that, having the positivity and optimism to do it is the basis for these kinds of goals.”
Alexander-Arnold is now just three games short of 200 appearances for Liverpool. For context, he only turned 23 in early October. Gerrard was 23 and four months when he reached that double-century milestone.
The performance of the academy graduate helped ensure Klopp’s men moved back to within a point of title rivals Manchester City and made light of losing Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones to positive COVID-19 tests on the morning of the game. None of the trio have symptoms but they are facing 10 days of isolation.
Liverpool recovered from a nightmare start when Anfield old boy Jonjo Shelvey punished Thiago’s mistake with a clinical finish as Diogo Jota and Salah netted in quick succession midway through the first half. Salah has now either scored or assisted in 15 consecutive Premier League appearances, equalling the longest run set by Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy between August and December 2015.
Fabinho’s absence was felt at times in midfield but Ibrahima Konate deputised admirably for Van Dijk. The summer signing from RB Leipzig increasingly looks the part.
Klopp isn’t keen on the idea of stopping the league season for a few weeks as a result of growing concerns over the hike in positive tests. He wants to keep playing. He knows this pandemic isn’t going anywhere.
On the back of eight straight wins in all competitions, Liverpool have momentum behind them as they prepare for Sunday’s trip to Tottenham.
This was their 2,000th top-flight victory and they are the first English club to reach that milestone. It will be remembered for Alexander-Arnold’s screamer.
Though this year hasn’t been plain sailing for him, he’s emerged from the experience stronger.
“The Scouser in our team,” roared the Kop.
He’s one of their own and he’s back to his dazzling best.
(Top photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @JamesPearceLFC
