Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised his deputy Trent Alexander-Arnold for being a “complete package”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised Trent Alexander-Arnold for thriving in the new hybrid role for the club this season. The 25-year-old scored a stunning equaliser against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League stalemate.
The England international battled City’s on-form winger Jeremy Doku throughout the game in the right wing. However, Trent continued to drop into the midfield whenever the Reds gained possession, finding space to score a fantastic goal.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp tweaked the system during the latter stage of the last season. Trent played as an inverted fullback and shifted to the midfield whenever the Reds gained possession. The tactical tweak helped the struggling Liverpool finish the season strongly.
This season, Trent has continued with the similar role of an inverted fullback despite the revamp of the team’s midfield. The formation drastically changes the way Klopp’s team plays as over-lapping fullbacks played a crucial role in the past success. However, the Reds have played some impressive football this season with the England international continuing his hybrid role.
Van Dijk praised (h/t Mirror) the ability of Trent to adapt to new roles and deliver high-quality performances. He said:
“He offers a lot defensively and, obviously in possession, he has qualities that are very special and he shows that as well, so he has the complete package. He has to keep doing what he’s doing, keep improving, keep that high standard he has for himself and we all have for him as well.”
England manager Gareth Southgate used Trent as a central midfielder in the fixtures played during the November international break. The 25-year-old has delivered fantastic performances for his country from the midfield and played the last fixture as number six.
The Reds are currently using Alexis Mac Allister as the number six with Trent dropping at the central on possession. However, Mac Allister is not a natural defensive midfielder despite giving good performances in his make-shift role.
What a performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold pic.twitter.com/Xx7OapZ034
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 25, 2023
Wataru Endo is a more natural defensive midfielder but he has operated as a backup to the starting eleven. The Japan captain played in a double pivot role at his previous club Stuttgart.
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Whether Klopp deploys Trent as the defensive midfielder in the near future or not is up for speculation. Nevertheless, the Liverpool boss would need a specialist right back to take over from Trent if that happens.
