Jurgen Klopp has said that he wasn’t too happy with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s positioning at one stage during Liverpool’s match against West Ham United.
The Liverpool boss was speaking to BBC Sport after the game. Commenting on a big chance for Pablo Fornals in the 39th minute of the game, Klopp said that his side’s defending gave West Ham the opportunity.
“The chance they had in the first half, that was bad defending from us because (there was) no pressure on the ball,” said Klopp.
“You cannot have a high line if the last line is then not closed. Trent was too wide still, then it becomes even more tricky.”
It looked for all the world that Fornals would score to bring West Ham level in the game. The Spaniard has an impressive record against Liverpool having hit three goals in six games against The Reds.
But after he had lifted the ball over the onrushing Alisson, Alexander-Arnold got back to hook it off the line.
“They nearly used that but because of Ali’s positioning and calmness and Trent’s long leg, they couldn’t score off it,” Klopp said.
It would have been a crucial goal for The Hammers just before the break. Luckily, Trent got back in the nick of time to preserve Liverpool’s lead.
High line scrutiny
Liverpool’s high defensive line is something that garners a lot of media attention. It’s true that it does leave The Reds looking vulnerable at times.
But it’s there for a reason and it largely does its job. Thanks to the pace and positional knowledge of Virgil Van Dijk and the capability of Alisson in one-v-ones, the tactic rarely costs Liverpool.
It’s interesting to hear Klopp acknowledge Alexander-Arnold’s role in the set-up.
The right-back is clearly expected to tuck inside when the ball comes over the top from the other side. Presumably the same goes for Andy Robertson on the opposite flank.
Trent crucial at both ends
Trent berated the fourth official for not raising his flag against Fornals on Saturday. But replays showed he was absolutely correct not to. Had the 23-year-old not managed to recover, the goal would have stood.
There are those who question Alexander-Arnold’s defensive capabilities. But as with the Liverpool forward line, the full-back position at Liverpool is such a specialist role.
Not only is Trent expected to provide the ammunition for the attackers, Klopp’s comments show how crucial he is to the defensive side of Liverpool’s game too.
It’s a lot to ask of one player. But the quality of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson mean that Liverpool are able to play that way.
Chances like the one Fornals missed at Anfield will be given up again by Liverpool this season. But by-and-large their approach is working.
Saturday’s win gave Klopp’s team their sixth clean sheet in the last eight games. Bizarrely, the two games in which they did concede were both against bottom-of-the-table Norwich City.
As long as we don’t have to play Teemu Pukki and co every week, it looks like we’ll be fine!
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