The Premier League is the only arena that Liverpool still participates in and they need their pillars to be in top form for the remainder of the season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had to miss nearly two months to treat his injury, and just returned to Liverpool’s starting lineup in the Premier League on a trip to Fulham on Sunday. He marked his return in a more impressive way with a beautiful free kick that opened the score.
The return of this 25-year-old defender is extremely important to Jurgen Klopp, because his substitute Conor Bradley has just been injured. The exclusion of Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez was a concern before the match, but fortunately Liverpool still have Alexander-Arnold.
The England international’s free-kick goal was not his only contribution in the 3-1 win over Fulham. Alexander-Arnold’s long passes also have a huge impact on the game, as he often puts his attacking teammates in favorable positions with just a flick of the ball.
Trent and the free kick to open the scoring in the match against Fulham.
When the Merseyside Red Brigade have the ball, Trent will step forward to play as a playmaker. During the match against Fulham, he made a total of 73 passes, including 15 passes into the final third of the field, more than any other Liverpool player.
The English player’s full recovery will bring new motivation to the Anfield team in the title race. Klopp’s team looked tired both mentally and physically in the matches with Atalanta or Crystal Palace, and they needed a boost from Alexander-Arnold, who was completely rested recently.
Alexander-Arnold is not the only full-back in England to take on a midfield position when the team is in possession, but he is by far the most prominent in that role. Despite criticism about his student’s 1 vs 1 defensive ability, Jurgen Klopp does not care about that because he needs Trent for another task.
Alexander-Arnold returned and brought confidence to the fans.
Of those who have played at least 1,000 minutes in the Premier League this season, only Pascal Gross (3.1), Andy Robertson (3), Andreas Pereira (3) and Bruno Fernandes (2.9) have averaged more key passes per game. 90 minutes more than Alexander-Arnold (2.8). It shows the English player’s top playmaking qualities.
Currently, Liverpool is completely focused on the title race, and they will have their next trip to Everton’s stadium in the early morning hours of this Thursday. With current form, all fans of the Red Brigade believe that Trent Alexander-Arnold will shine again to help the club win 3 points.
However, there is one thing that makes fans worried: this defender’s future. His contract with the Anfield team will expire next summer, while Real Madrid is actively soliciting. Liverpool’s important task in the near future is to urgently extend the contract with their vice-captain.
