Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is a ‘far better’ passer than Manchester City defender John Stones.
That’s the view of former Reds midfielder Don Hutchison. Speaking to ESPN FC after Liverpool hammered Leeds United 6-1 last night, Hutchison praised Alexander-Arnold for his display in a new inverted role.
“I don’t think the lads are giving Trent Alexander-Arnold enough credit for how well he played,” said the 51-year-old. “Alright, it was against Leeds, but he’s played two games in that role now, he’s had three assists. I thought he was Man of the Match by a million miles, I thought his passing range was incredible. Have a look at his touch map, his heat map, he was all over the park.”
Although Trent’s position was an unfamiliar one in Liverpool terms, it is something we’ve seen from full-backs in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola has been moving his wide defenders in-field for years. Meanwhile, former assistant Mikel Arteta has recently done the same at Arsenal. But according to Hutchison, neither manager has a player as capable as Liverpool’s No.66.
“You talk about John Stones playing in that role, you talk about [Oleksander] Zinchenko playing in that role, Trent’s a far better passer than those two,” he said. “He’s only behind Kevin De Bruyne in terms of the passes he can make from distance and the range of passes and assists that he gets.
“Listen, Jurgen Klopp’s stumbled across something, I think it’ll work, I think he’ll take him into next season in that position. He’s started his career as central midfield player before reverting into that full-back role and you know what, it might save Liverpool millions.”
Trent returns to what he knows best
This might sound obvious, but it’s actually a really good point from Hutchison. Both Stones and Zinchenko have come in for copious amounts of praise at various stages of this season. And yet, neither can hold a candle to Trent.
Both have their qualities and are good fits for this hybrid position for different reasons, but Alexander-Arnold is on another level. If these two can do it, then the Liverpool man certainly can.
Out of Zinchencko and Stones, the current Man City man is a better comparison than the former one. As a centre-back, Stones is as silky as they come. In another life the £47.5m signing from Everton could easily have been a central midfielder.
As Hutchison points out though, so too could Alexander-Arnold. The Scouser is well-known to have spent much of his academy days at Liverpool in the middle of the park. That he would return to doing so in the first team has always seemed like a possibility. But the more the years have passed, the less it has seemed that Klopp would give it considerable thought.
Some may remember that England boss Gareth Southgate has actually already beaten Jurgen to the punch in that regard. Southgate tried Trent in midfield some years ago, but appeared to abandon the experiment after a single game.
Now that Alexander-Arnold and indeed Stones look set for a more permanent role there though, perhaps we’ll one day see the pair partner up for their country. If it’s one or the other though, we know who we’re picking!