Trent Alexander-Arnold being unable to defend is a criticism often levelled towards the 26-year-old during his time at Liverpool.
While you could say that Alexander-Arnold’s occasional lapses in concentration at the back don’t help him, and how his attacking and on the ball capabilities outweigh the defensive side of his game, the narrative that the Academy graduate is a defensive liability is simply lazy.
Defensive Acumen
When Arne Slot took over at Anfield in the summer, looking at how to get the best out of Alexander-Arnold was no doubt near the top of his list of things to do.
The number 66 had become quite a divisive player under Klopp, after the German deployed him in the midfield in the 2023/24 season. With the appointment of Slot however, the right-back is no longer pushing up and inwards into the midfield, but is now sticking to a more traditional right-back role.
We can see the stark tactical change that Slot has implemented to make Alexander-Arnold play as a more conventional right-back, hugging the touchline rather than venturing to the centre of the pitch to play as an additional midfielder.
This means that Alexander-Arnold’s positioning is much better than in previous seasons, allowing him to become one of the best fullbacks this season.
So far this campaign, his statistics for tackles won per 90 has increased from 1.08 last season to 1.69, while his dribbled past numbers have more than halved, going from 2.5 to 1.08 this season.
Offensive Asset
While doubts could be levelled against the player, there is no questioning the sheer class that Alexander-Arnold offers offensively.
Since the 2017/18 season, he is the only defender to create more than 100 chances in the Premier League, he’s led defenders for the most passes into the opposition penalty area, has the most big chances created, the most assists, and the most goals from outside the box.
Not only is Alexander-Arnold joint-top for assists from a full back, he also sits 25th on the all time Premier League assist standings, sitting in good company, only a few assists behind the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Son Heung-Min.
The notion that he can’t defend has loomed large over his career, with Alexander-Arnold even claiming in interviews that he thinks that the perception is harsh and that it is hard to disprove it after a couple of good defensive games.
Alexander-Arnold’s start to the 2024/25 season however, has certainly put him in good stead, and perhaps the notion that he can’t defend will be left behind once and for all.
