Trent Alexander-Arnold has been in flying form for Liverpool this season and has quickly become an indispensable asset for new manager Arne Slot.
He has also managed to get his England career back on track after Gareth Southgate’s departure, although it remains to be seen how things develop in that regard after the arrival of Thomas Tuchel.
Alexander-Arnold defended resolutely against Chelsea as the Reds secured a 2-1 win at home courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones.
However, it appears as if Roy Keane is still not convinced by him as he made a rather smug claim after the Liverpool defender was substituted against the Blues.
Roy Keane aims another dig at Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold
Coming up against Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto, the 26-year-old stood his ground and kept the Chelsea attackers at bay, although he couldn’t have done much to prevent Nicolas Jackson’s goal.
With less than ten minutes left on the clock, Arne Slot opted to make a defensive change and bring Joe Gomez on in his place as the Blues threatened to get back into the game.
And Keane feels Alexander-Arnold’s late substitution is a clear sign that he can’t be trusted defensively.
“Trent – everyone thought he was brilliant defensively but the manager took him off with ten minutes to go,” said Keane on Stick to Football.
“Brilliant, isn’t it? But anyway, that’s not the point. Ten minutes to go, you’re 2-1 and you take him off – that’s a great message. We really trust you defensively.”
On the other hand, Neil Mellor feels Alexander-Arnold was magnificent against Chelsea, which is a more accurate verdict on his performance despite his Liverpool allegiance.
Alexander-Arnold’s defensive stats clearly show Keane’s assessment is harsh
Stats don’t paint the full picture, but even in terms of the eye test, Alexander-Arnold played one of his best games this season from a defensive standpoint to handle Sancho’s guile and Neto’s explosiveness.
The former was barely in the game in the first half as he was withdrawn for Neto, while the Portuguese international gave the Liverpool backline a handful of problems since coming on.
Nevertheless, the 26-year-old showed his class and the proof is in the pudding as his stats make for impressive reading.
- Four clearances
- Four tackles
- Five out of eight duels won
- One interception and block shot apiece
- Dribbled past just once
Constructive criticism is obviously helpful for any player, but Keane is making it abundantly clear that he just can’t stand Alexander-Arnold with his recent comments.
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