Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield return: Actual Madrid proper again going through Liverpool solely highlights what Reds are lacking

Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to Anfield with Actual Madrid on Tuesday for the primary time since leaving Liverpool final summer season, with the Reds and their followers lacking the precise again greater than they maybe wish to admit.

It’s virtually six months to the day Alexander-Arnold confirmed one of many worst-kept secrets and techniques in soccer by saying that in contrast to Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, he wouldn’t be signing a brand new deal on the membership so as to, as he informed Prime Video Sport forward of the sport, pursue a “new challenge” within the Spanish capital.

That this was a neighborhood boy and the vice-captain of the staff with a 20-plus 12 months affiliation with the Reds meant emotions have been uncooked on Merseyside, with the defender even booed by a bit of his personal followers after approaching in its place towards Arsenal at Anfield within the first sport after the announcement.

Some even scoffed at Alexander-Arnold’s declare that a part of his purpose for becoming a member of Los Blancos was to assist him win the Ballon d’Or, with little question some Liverpool supporters conserving an in depth eye on how he would fare, even secretly hoping he would fail on the Santiago Bernabeu.

Initially, the 27-year-old impressed each on and off the pitch, addressing the Madrid trustworthy and president Florentino Perez in Spanish at his unveiling in June, earlier than considered one of his trademark crosses from the precise created Gonzalo Garcia’s winner towards Juventus within the Membership World Cup spherical of 16 the following month.

Nevertheless, issues haven’t gone as smoothy since, with Alexander-Arnold restricted to only 156 minutes of motion in whole to this point this season – with no objectives or assists – as new Actual head coach Xabi Alonso initially alternated between the England worldwide and Dani Carvajal at right-back after the captain’s return from an extended layoff with an ACL.

A hamstring damage after simply 5 minutes of Actual’s opening Champions League conflict with Marseille in September didn’t assist both and when Alexander-Arnold was then omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for that month’s World Cup Qualifiers with Andorra and Serbia, there might have been some glee from sure sections of Reds fanbase with the then unbeaten champions seemingly thriving with out him.

However lots has modified since then, with Liverpool’s title defence wobbling after 4 straight league defeats knocked Arne Slot’s facet off high spot within the Premier League, whereas they sit simply tenth within the Champions League standings forward of the go to of a Actual facet who’ve misplaced simply as soon as in all competitions to this point below Alonso.

Madrid’s arrival on Merseyside for a rematch with Liverpool, who convincingly beat Carlo Ancelotti’s staff 2-0 at Anfield final November, now has added spice with Alexander-Arnold again from damage and competing with midfielder Federico Valverde to begin towards his boyhood membership after Carvajal underwent an arthroscopy on his proper knee that’s prone to sideline the Spain worldwide for the remainder of the 12 months.

“Mixed emotions, whatever way I’m received is the decision of the fans,” he stated about his return house.

“No matter what, my feelings won’t change towards Liverpool. I’ve got memories there that will last me a lifetime and, no matter how I’m received, that won’t change.”

It threatens to be an uncomfortable night time all spherical for the Reds trustworthy, although, as not solely might their returning proper again assist inflict one other defeat on his former facet, however his very presence at Anfield may serve to remind them simply what they’ve been lacking at occasions this season.

For a begin, defensively Liverpool have been leaking objectives at an alarming price, with Slot going by means of proper backs as if they’re out of vogue because the Dutchman tries to decide on who Alexander-Arnold’s successor must be.

Conor Bradley had been earmarked for the function, however has struggled when match, with Sky Sports activities’ Gary Neville questioning his place within the facet after the 3-2 loss at Brentford: “I am supportive of Bradley, nevertheless it’s tough when your staff is conceding objectives and the stress is on.

“If he [Slot] keeps playing Bradley at right back and they are exposed in midfield, they will keep on getting the same results.”

When in possession at Liverpool Alexander-Arnold could be utilised as an inverted midfielder by Jurgen Klopp, who needed to make higher use of the participant’s distinctive passing vary.

They have issues at full again. They’re lacking Trent.

“We’ve never seen passing and crossing from a right back of that type ever and I think I can include all the great right backs globally, not just those who played in the Premier League,” Neville stated of Alexander-Arnold after he had created Luis Diaz’s opener at Tottenham Hotspur final December. “It is absolutely sensational, it really is.”

This included effortlessly switching play with a raking, pinpoint cross-field cross, usually to fellow full-back Andy Robertson on the other flank, maybe finest illustrated by Liverpool’s second aim towards Man Metropolis at Anfield in November 2019.

Neither Bradley nor summer season signing Jeremie Frimpong have such abilities, which can clarify why Slot has usually chosen to play versatile midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai as a makeshift proper again as an alternative, with Liverpool discovering it arduous in Alexander-Arnold’s absence to progress the ball up the sphere throughout their current struggles.

All of which has had a knock-on impact on different areas of the staff, particularly in assault the place Salah’s type has alarmingly dipped this season within the absence of his previous mate on the precise wing, together with his current comfort strike at Brentford the ahead’s first open-play aim within the high flight because the first day of the marketing campaign.

“Slot has not paid attention to just how much they will miss Alexander-Arnold,” Sky Sports activities’ Paul Merson informed Soccer Saturday.

“They underestimated Trent leaving, you are talking one of the best passers in the Premier League and when he plays at right back, now all of a sudden they are doubling up on Salah, who does not look like kicking the ball.”

Sky Sports activities’ Nick Wright expanded extra in his ‘Radar‘ column, writing: “The strength of their connection on Liverpool’s right was arguably the side’s biggest asset, not just because of the volume of passes received by Salah from Alexander-Arnold, but the type.

“The right back gave Salah exactly what he needed. It can be seen in Opta’s data for line-breaking passes. Alexander-Arnold made 147 of them to Salah last season, a whopping 36 per cent more than any other Premier League pairing, with Josko Gvardiol to Jeremy Doku next on 108.

“Alexander-Arnold’s defensive frailties tended to attract extra focus however he was, and nonetheless is, a unicorn of a proper again in his capability to interrupt constructions and bypass defenders together with his distribution, guaranteeing Salah usually acquired the ball in positions to harm opponents.”

And even Slot admitted Sala’s current hunch might have one thing to do with Alexander-Arnold’s absence.

“He performed with Trent his entire Liverpool profession, so it might [be that],” Slot said when asked about Salah’s drop in form. “He is been in promising positions usually sufficient to attain objectives, however perhaps with Trent much more.”

Nevertheless, it isn’t simply the objectives [23 in total in 354 games], or the assists [92 in all competitions, including a record-breaking 67 by a defender in the Premier League era] that Slot and Co are so badly lacking this season, but in addition the native boy’s affect within the dressing room, particularly within the aftermath of Diogo Jota’s tragic loss of life.

All of which makes the detached response to Alexander-Arnold’s determination to not keep at Anfield all of the extra baffling, with the prevailing view of many Liverpool followers on the time being had they to lose considered one of their contract rebels, let or not it’s the precise again relatively than Salah or captain Virgil van Dijk.

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One wonders, although, if Michael Edwards [Fenway Sports Group CEO of Football] and sporting director Ricard Hughes had their time once more, would they really prioritise attempting to maintain maintain of Trent.