Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a standout performer for Liverpool this season but the right-back has admitted his role within the team has changed under Arne Slot
Under the guidance of Arne Slot, Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen a shift in his role at Liverpool, taking on less creative responsibilities. The 26-year-old has had a stellar season with the Premier League titans, who are on track to win the title.
With just nine matches remaining this season, Liverpool hold a comfortable 12-point lead over second-placed Arsenal. However, it’s uncertain when the right-back will be back on the pitch following an ankle injury he sustained earlier this month.
Speculation is rife about the England star’s future at his childhood club, with rumours of a possible summer transfer to Real Madrid gaining momentum. As yet, no new contract has been agreed upon with Liverpool, and the vice-captain’s current deal is set to expire at the end of this season, along with those of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
Despite impressing Slot with his offensive prowess and enhanced defensive skills, Alexander-Arnold’s position within the team has evolved since the Jurgen Klopp era, something the player himself has acknowledged.
“[The role] depends on the game because if you think of Man United away, I played almost like a No.10. I was higher up the pitch because of the way they pressed,” Alexander-Arnold revealed to Liverpoolfc.com in October.
“In certain games I’ll be inside because of the way they [the opposition] press – sometimes they press differently. It all varies on how they press,” reports the Liverpool Echo. The dynamic full-back has noticed a shift in his role, experiencing reduced creative duties.
This season, Alexander-Arnold has seen a decrease both in playing and receiving progressive passes, and he’s also setting career lows for passes into the final third and into the box.
Yet, despite taking a step back from being the focal point in attack, he acknowledges that the strategic alterations by manager Slot are still giving him opportunities to influence play. “The manager will dissect how they press so we can outnumber the way they press,” he admitted.
“If they press with three, we’ll have four players around, so that we can play through them. If they press with a two then there’ll be three players, et cetera, et cetera. It’s just about who those players are and where it works best.
“So, wherever the manager tells me to be, I’ll be there because he’ll tell me that’s most likely where you’ll get the ball. And if that changes then he’ll tell me during the game, ‘you’re not getting the ball there, try there and maybe surprise him in there and see if that works’.
“Throughout the game, there’s a lot of things going on but if I understand it then it’ll work. So far it has.” Slot opened up about his focus on enhancing Alexander-Arnold’s defensive skills, which have faced scrutiny over the years.
Speaking to TNT Sports in January, he acknowledged the progress of his player: “When we started to work together, I emphasised also a bit on his defensive work,” Slot revealed. “He had to keep producing the numbers in assisting goals, but if we wanted to be a team that concedes less shots, he had to improve a bit in defending. We have spoken a lot to him about consistency.
“Because he’s been quite long with this club, he sometimes trains or has played games like, ‘Ah, it’s another one from 200 that I’ve already played or all these sessions I’ve already had’. This is where we’ve worked on, and I think we can see the progression he has made.”
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