Alexander-arnold finds attacking verve to make his point to Southgate
Wing-back recovers from slow start to provide three assists after being given chance to revive international career
⮞liverpool
Trent Alexander-arnold had needed something to smile about with England, so try telling him that this final World Cup qualifier against San Marino, possibly the worst football team on the planet, was pointless.
The Liverpool player has been the England fall guy over recent months, suffering an injury that ruled him out of the European Championship and being used as a makeshift midfielder – much to the bewilderment of his club manager, Jurgen Klopp.
In San Marino, this was a night for England’s players to show Gareth Southgate exactly what they have got, and although it took a while, Alexander-arnold finally did so as he bagged a hat-trick of assists and perhaps took a crucial step to turning his international career around.
For 68 minutes, it looked like another opportunity might be about to pass the 23-year-old by, with former England right-back Lee Dixon, watching the game for ITV, remarking that he had been trying too hard.
But over the final 21 minutes, Alexander-arnold freed himself of the pressure that had appeared to rest on his shoulders, producing delicious deliveries for Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham and Bukayo Saka. Southgate must hope it proves to be a turning point.
There is certainly an argument that playing against opposition as weak as San Marino is a waste of time for England, but Alexanderarnold is unlikely to see it that way given how desperate he has been to revive his international career.
A player who is so dangerous and assured for Liverpool, Alexanderarnold has often looked uncomfortable and nervous in an England shirt and that was demonstrated again as early as the rendition of the national anthem, when he did not appear to know the words.
It cannot help that he must question whether or not he has really had the faith of Southgate, but Klopp cannot criticise the England manager this time over any perceived bias against his player. Klopp has not only questioned Southgate’s omission of his player in the past, but also his use of him as a midfielder. But Alexander-arnold was given a big opportunity last night and he started like a man who was worried this could be his last chance.
His most noteworthy contribution of the opening 45 minutes came right at the end of the first half, when he ran into a dead end and Harry Kane picked up the ball to score the fourth of his goals.
Bizarrely, given the dreadful standard of the opposition, Alexander-arnold had barely ventured towards the San Marino penalty area or touchline before the end of the first half as he adopted a safety-first approach.
Alexander-arnold’s first-half performance could not have been in greater contrast to the opening 45 minutes of Reece James against Albania at Wembley last Friday. The Chelsea man had basically played as one of the forwards for England, so high had he pushed up the pitch, but Alexander-arnold often preferred to push the ball in front of him to a team-mate or sideways than driving up the pitch himself.
So crisp with his passing for his club, Alexander-arnold was also guilty of losing possession with a couple of attempted long passes and the few deliveries he managed were largely dealt with by the home team.
A decoy run in the second half helped to create the space for Saka to make the cross from which Emile Smith Rowe scored a debut goal, but we were waiting for a statement or a moment of real quality from Alexander-arnold, who has been so decisive for his club.
That finally came in the 69th minute, as Southgate received a reminder of Alexander-arnold’s dead-ball ability when he produced a superb free-kick from which Mings headed England’s eighth.
All of a sudden Alexanderarnold’s demeanour changed and confidence finally started to run through his veins. Abraham still had work to do to score from his high pass, but Saka was gifted a goal from Alexander-arnold’s perfect cross. He could not suppress a wide grin as the England players celebrated.
It had been a head-scratcher that Alexander-arnold appeared to be stuck in a run of bad luck or underwhelming performances for his country. Hopefully, that cycle is now broken.
James will go down as one of the big winners of this latest international break for his performance against Albania and the fact that he made a substitute’s appearance as a defensive midfielder in San Marino, which underlined the Chelsea youngster’s versatility and value.
But, finally, Alexander-arnold managed to push his own case and give England some optimism that we may yet see the best of him for country as well as club.