Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold won the Man of the Match award vs Newcastle United last night. Jurgen Klopp doesn’t believe things really clicked for him, however.
Trent Alexander-Arnold certainly made the headlines against Newcastle on Thursday. He assured that with one incredible strike late on that sealed the points.
The Scouser produced an absolute rocket into the roof of the net from 25 yards, making it 3-1 and killing the game. It was exactly the kind of goal you’d expect from someone who strikes the ball as well as Alexander-Arnold – even if he’s never really done that before.
But it was an extraordinary strike and one of the best Liverpool goals this season, leaving Newcastle with no chance. Couple that with a wonderful last-ditch tackle in the second half with the score at 2-1 and it’s not too surprising that Alexander-Arnold was the Liverpool Man of the Match vs Newcastle.
Jurgen Klopp, though, doesn’t feel this was Alexander-Arnold’s best performance. The right-back didn’t ‘click’ according to the boss.
“It was not his best game last night – it was one of his best goals, yes, but it was not his best game – but that’s completely normal,” said Klopp, per Liverpoolfc.com.
“Even in your not-best games you have to get through with a solid performance and he had two outstanding moments: the goal and obviously the tackle, when he won the ball against Fraser.
“They were two game-defining moments. Even on a night when not everything is clicking, you can be the decisive man and that’s what he was last night.”
Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool vs Newcastle
We completely agree with Klopp here. We didn’t have Alexander-Arnold down as one of Liverpool’s three best players – even if he was, in the end, influential.
He played some wonderful passes but none of the real defence-splitting ones came off. Without the goal, it would have been an unusually quiet performance with one great tackle.
Not that it was a bad performance by any means – Alexander-Arnold still had a really good game against Newcastle. In fact, that’s a sign of just how good he is. As Klopp says, having the ability to be decisive even on a fairly average day is an incredible compliment.
So in short, Alexander-Arnold is brilliant. Remarkably few players can influence games as he can – whether he’s at his best or not.
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