THE FINAL WORD

Alexander-arnold insists Reds are thriving on the pressure of chasing historic Quad as they bid to claim their third shot at the big one in five years

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD believes Liverpool’s relentless chase for history is down to the fact they embrace pressure.

Since the Reds crashed to defeat against Leicester on December 28, they have lost one match and that did not actually matter, given their 1-0 reverse to Inter Milan after a 2-0 win in the first-leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. They have drawn only three games in that time, Chelsea in early January, the Premier League crunch with City, and a fairly dead rubber against Benfica.

So it is no wonder Alexander-arnold insists his team is inspired by the need to win and remains confident they can continue their remarkable form all the way to a third Champions League final in five seasons, and even to a Quadruple.

“I feel like we thrive off it,” he said. “This is always the best time of the season. Every game is a final, pushing on all three fronts. These are the exciting games. You want to be playing in these, you want everything on the line, you want every game to feel like you have to win it.

“The lads all feel the same way. It is exciting, the buzz you get from scoring a goal and knowing it is important.

“Naby’s goal at Newcastle on Saturday... there was a feeling, ‘This is a big goal’. Same with Hendo’s crossshot against Villarreal.

“Those goals give you a different feeling this is massive. Same with the three points. These are the best times we are going to have as a team, when you are pushing on all three fronts. It is an exciting time.”

Jurgen Klopp’s men need seven more wins, and one small slip up from City, to lift the four trophies available to English clubs for the first time.

Yet right-back Alexander-arnold, 23, believes there is more to come from a side whose manager has just committed his future to until at least 2026.

“It wasn’t like a big celebration,” he added. “It is hard it to really settle in when games are so thick and fast. Even the manager wouldn’t have wanted it to distract us or take our focus away.

“It is business as usual but at the back of our minds, it’s another two years and we hope to make them successful.”

That business is simple – win every game starting with Villarreal.

The Reds take a twogoal lead to Spain from the first-leg, and asked what the plan was, Alexanderarnold said: “To go out there and win.

“We’ve a lead to protect, so it comes with some game management. We can’t be silly and drawn into the game they want to play.

“Two-nil is a good lead but a dangerous one. Hopefully we can get to our third final in five years.”