Brazilian duo Alisson and Fabinho have praised Trent Alexander-Arnold’s recent performances in a more advanced role for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold has been given greater positional freedom in the Reds’ last two fixtures against Arsenal and Leeds, where he operated in a hybrid role across both right-back and defensive midfield. Fabinho was full of admiration for the 24-year-old, saying, “Trent is somebody really good on the ball, with his quality of pass and finding players in behind. We can really use this. In the last game, he gave two assists and was really good – not just with his passing but his reaction was good as well.” Alisson was also complimentary of Alexander-Arnold’s defensive work, noting, “This game [against Leeds] was a really good example of that [defensive work] – the way that we react, not only Trent going from the midfield and then going to the side, but other players knowing that we need to have a good reaction on the counter-press or getting back to their position, buying time.”
The new setup appears to be allowing Alexander-Arnold to express his creativity and could be a real weapon for Liverpool in the future. He has registered three assists across the games with Arsenal and Leeds, having provided just two in the entirety of the Premier League campaign prior to that. Questions remain over whether this will become a more permanent switch or if some form of crossover will continue for the time being, with Jurgen Klopp having said the “formation suits us.”