Alexander-Arnold ‘phenomenal’ as Reds go 13 points clear

LEICESTER City manager Brendan Rodgers has described Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold’s range of passing as “phenomenal” and said the 21-year-old’s attacking instincts were as good as that of a midfielder.

Alexander-Arnold provided two assists for Roberto Firmino and scored late as the Premier League leaders blasted past second-placed Leicester 4-0 on Thursday to open up a 13-point gap at the top with a game in hand.

The academy graduate began his career in central midfield and got his first taste of senior soccer under former Liverpool manager Rodgers in 2015, but has excelled in Juergen Klopp’s back line making eight league assists this season.

“For me, he plays full-back as a midfield player. His range of passing is phenomenal … he was a midfielder as a youngster,” Rodgers said.

“His quality, the experiences he has gained, for Juergen he has been absolutely amazing. Trent is up there and is very much England’s number one (right back) and playing consistently at a high level.”

Klopp said Alexander-Arnold’s crossing, which also led to a penalty against Leicester, was exceptional but he batted away questions on whether the right back was the best player in the world in that position.

Klopp said: “He played a really good game, but not a perfect game … it was decisive and helped us a lot. We know how important these crosses are for us, so that’s absolutely exceptional. But I can’t compare because at the moment I watch pretty much only Liverpool games so I don’t see the others.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are still finding their feet under new manager Jose Mourinho but the player who has benefited the most from his arrival is midfielder-turned-forward Dele Alli, whose winner secured three points against Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.

Alli fell by the wayside last season as injuries denied him a consistent run of games.

Prior to Mourinho’s appointment, Alli had scored only three goals in 30 games but in his last eight matches the 23-year-old has five goals and three assists – more than any Spurs player since the Portuguese coach took over from Mauricio Pochettino.

No Spurs player covered more ground against Brighton than Alli, whose first-time lob over goalkeeper Mat Ryan was the icing on the cake of a second-half comeback.

“It’s an unbelievable finish,” said Tottenham’s first goalscorer Harry Kane. “The ball is cut back to him, comes to him so quickly and it’s a kind of scoop over the goalkeeper fantastic, he deserves it.”

Pivotal to Alli’s change in fortunes has been Mourinho’s decision to deploy him in the final third of the pitch rather than in central midfield, with the Portuguese explaining that Alli is “not a midfield player”.

With Kane and Son Heung-min up front under Pochettino, Alli was tasked with linking the midfield and attack but Mourinho has given him a free role.

Alexander-Arnold