Klopp must drop Trent. It would be cruel to keep on picking him
ON the stroke of half-time, the stadium cameras panned to trent Alexander-Arnold. his sullen expression, exposed heartlessly on the jumbo screens positioned on two corners of the emirates Stadium, said it all.
the Liverpool right back is struggling. Big time. It isn’t getting any easier either. this was another day to forget for the embattled defender — arguably his worst yet.
Both Arsenal’s first- half goals developed down Liverpool’s right side, the flank Alexander-Arnold is supposed to be guarding with his life.
Martin Odegaard’sg passp from into the GabrielelMarelimiane game Martinelli’s path eliminated Alexander-Arnold before the Brazilian fired Arsenal ahead inside 60 seconds.
And then, in first- halff stoppage time, Arsenalnal were rippinging through right- Liverpool’s iverhtflank again — Martinelli’s low cross into Bukayo Saka ending with the england forward plundering home as the Gunners retook the lead.
Not for the first time this season, Alexander-Arnold was culpable. Maybe there was a degree of mitigation — the full back had taken a hefty blow to his ankle courtesy of a Martinelli challenge that had Liverpool fans frothing at the mouth. the impact of that clash was the reason cited for Alexander-Arnold’s substitution at half-time. But the scepticism was tangible; if ever there was a convenient injury then this was it.
Jurgen Klopp has staunchly defended his defender this season but even he will be hard pushed to put a positive spin on Alexander-Arnold’s latest debacle.debacle
It is an issue that needs immediate atteattention from KlKlopp. how lolong can the LLiverpool mmanager continue to show faith in a player — despite hhis obvious ttalent — in ththe hope that he pplays his way out ofo a rut? BecauBecause throwing him out ono the pitch every four days, exposing him to incredible scrutiny, is bordering on cruelty at the moment. this isn’t a debate about whether Alexander-Arnold is a good footballer. the world can see that he is. Similarly, this isn’t about his ability to attack, his inability to defend or his brilliance in dead-ball situations. Rather, it is about a player who needs protection. evidently, he would benefit from a period out of the firing line.
‘he is injured unfortunately. there is swelling, a twisted ankle. In seven years he hasn’t come off in pain,’ said Klopp.
You’d imagine the results of today’s scan on AlexanderArnold’s ankle, even if they are not as bad as Klopp fears, will provide the manager with an excuse to ease his troubled defender out of his starting XI for Wednesday’s game against Rangers and Sunday’s clash against Manchester City.
In usual circumstances, next weekend’s game at Anfield would provide an indication of the destination of the Premier League title.
But on this evidence Arsenal will be City’s nearest challengers — not Liverpool.
Of course, the culpability for Liverpool’s poor start to the season does not sit solely with Alexander- Arnold. their troubles run much deeper. Defensively they look broken; Virgil van Dijk — the stand out central defender in european football for three years — looks a shadow of his usual self.
his central defensive partner Joel Matip was hooked midway through the second half.
that said, there was much to admire about Liverpool at the emirates. they showed resilience in twice coming from behind; while there were finally promising signs from Darwin Nunez.
Yet that will offer Klopp little solace. his side are finding new ways of shooting themselves in the foot every time they play and their domestic season is crumbling as a result.
Klopp’s problems are mounting and how to cajole Alexander-Arnold out of his worrying decline is arguably the German’s biggest of all.