Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

News

HomeNewsEnglish Premier LeagueLiverpool

‘Like he wasn’t there’: Pundit says 24-year-old Liverpool player was almost invisible at times against Arsenal

Charles Jones

Tue 11 April 2023 9:45, UK

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defending has once again been called into question.

on The Times’ The Game Podcast, Gregor Robertson has been discussing the England international’s performance against Arsenal.

The right-back was fantastic going forwards against the Gunners, but, once again, he was lacking defensively as Gabriel Martinelli managed to get the better of him on a number of occasions.

Robertson was critical of the right-back’s showing, stating that there were moments when it looked like Alexander-Arnold wasn’t even on the pitch down the right side, claiming that he has lost all capacity to defend now.

Alexander-Arnold criticised

The pundit gave his verdict on the 24-year-old

“Trent Alexander-Arnold is turning into the most fascinating player to watch. I feel like we speak about him a lot, and he’s still an outstanding player, but even in the second-half there were still moments when Martinelli ran past him like he wasn’t there, it’s extraordinary, he’s just lost all capacity to defend one-on-one situations,” Robertson said.

Did plenty

Alexander-Arnold may not have locked down that right flank for Liverpool from a defensive point of view, but he was brilliant in other areas.

Indeed, his attacking output can’t be ignored. He put in a number of incredibly dangerous crosses in the second-half and he actually set up the second goal, earning the Reds a point here.

This game perfectly highlighted some of the issues with Alexander-Arnold this season. The full-back’s defensive frailties were very much on show, but when he went forwards, he looked electric.

The 24-year-old is an absolute enigma, and it’s very hard to figure out how Jurgen Klopp is going to get the best out of the talented youngster.