With Liverpool’s lethargic start to the season culminating in an embarrassing display at Napoli, many fingers were immediately pointed at the right-back.
While Trent Alexander-Arnold undoubtedly put in a tired and downright abject performance at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona, he certainly wasn’t alone in that regard.
A week later, the Reds had a much-improved performance at home to Ajax, but once again the Alexander-Arnold defense was a major talking point.
It’s nothing new for the 23-year-old to get the brunt of the headlines or social media attention.
He has become the fulcrum of the Liverpool system, with his unique skill set playing a crucial role in supplying their attack over the last five years.
As a result, Liverpool’s No. 66 epitomizes his high-risk, high-reward approach under Jurgen Klopp.
When they play well, he is often at the heart of their success.
However, when the Reds falter, as they have this season, he is criticized for not playing the role of a more conventional right-back.
While there is no doubt that Alexander-Arnold looks fatigued and his performances have fallen below his usual standards, many of his struggles this term are a symptom, rather than a cause, of Liverpool’s stuttering start.
Complacency at the back or gaps in midfield?
As the full-time whistle blew in Napoli and the investigation into Liverpool’s performance began, familiar questions about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive ability re-circulated.
Italian horror show aside, though, his numbers haven’t dipped defensively since last season, when he was named in the PFA Team of the Year and was part of a line of four with the joint best defensive record in the Premier League.
In fact, the right-back’s tackle success rate against dribblers increased from 39 per cent in the league last season to 50 per cent in the first six games this campaign.
Alexander-Arnold’s pressing success rate also rose from 33.7 percent to 44.9 percent, with 4.15 of his 9.25 pressings per 90, resulting in the Reds getting the ball back in five seconds.
His tackles and interceptions per 90 are also relatively similar to what he posted last year, dropping slightly from 3.79 to 3.21.
Admittedly, the sample size for this season remains small, however, it’s clear there hasn’t been a significant change in how Alexander-Arnold defends.
What will be most alarming for the Kirkby side is the increased defensive load they have to shoulder as a result of midfield problems.
This season, the number of tackles Trent makes in the defensive third has almost doubled from 0.69 per 90 to 1.13, his highest average in the league since 2017/18.
While the right-back has been able to rely on his midfield for cover in years past, injuries at this position, combined with the switch to a more attacking No. 8 right-back in Harvey Elliott, have often left him exposed and isolated.
The fact that Liverpool continue to rely on Alexander-Arnold as their main source of opportunities compounds this problem.
Trent can’t deal with the increased exposure he faces on the right side, as a result of a porous midfield, while being expected to take up positions that allow him to be at his best attacking.
Like Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk, the 23-year-old would no doubt admit that he is capable of defending better than he has this season.
However, their rusty start to the campaign has been magnified and made worse by Liverpool’s midfield malaise.
Thiago’s comeback against Ajax proved that, with the back four immediately looking more confident.
The extra control the Spaniard brings helped Liverpool restrict the Dutch side to just three shots on goal and just 0.3 xG.
Where have all the assists gone?
Perhaps more worryingly for Liverpool fans, who are more interested in what Alexander-Arnold can produce up front than defensively, the No. 66 is yet to register an assist this season.
After racking up a career-high 18 assists last season to take his total for the club to 58, Alexander-Arnold has so far failed to add to his tally this year.
While assists can often be an unreliable metric, due to their reliance on other players finding the back of the net, the fact that the England international is producing just 0.14 xA per 90, compared to 0.35 xA per 90 last year, is a concern.
However, this drop in production is not due to a drop in individual standards.
In fact, Alexander-Arnold is completing more progressive passes per 90 than he did last year (10.6 vs. 8.77), more passes into the final third (8.49 vs. 7.29), and more passes into the penalty area ( 5.09 vs. 2.81).
No one in the Premier League who has played 90 minutes or more has completed as many progressive passes or passes into the penalty area as he has for 90.
He is also in the top 10 in the final third passing division and ranks first in the progressive distance of his passes.
It is clear that Liverpool still possess one of the most effective passers in a football in Europe.
However, while last season these passes were finding a well-oiled front line, this year they are fueling one that is still standing as a unit.
While Mo Salah scored his third goal of the campaign against Ajax, he has been largely peripheral this season.
The number of shots he takes per 90 has dropped from 4.36 in 2021/22 to just 2.83 so far this season.
Similarly, neither Roberto Firmino nor Luis Diaz are natural goal scorers, as both are more comfortable shooting deep and receiving the ball at their feet.
Diogo Jota’s injury and Darwin Núñez’s suspension have left these three strikers often unbalanced and without a serious goal threat.
Not surprisingly, Jota’s return brought out the best in Salah and Diaz against Ajax, with their runs creating more space for the pair.
Same old Trent
While Alexander-Arnold’s attacking production appears to be down, his passing numbers remain elite.
While the problems in the midfield department have brought additional scrutiny on his defensive abilities, his end product is suffering during a transition period as Klopp searches for his new first-choice front.
In many ways, Klopp’s system is rooted in the academy graduate, and the coach’s unconventional use of his right-back often reaps big rewards in attack while taking big risks in defence.
As a result of this importance, Alexander-Arnold will always be an easy scapegoat when the team struggles.
In reality, however, his problems are a symptom of the problems Klopp’s side have faced this season.
He was expected to play his usual role while the system that facilitated it collapsed around him, due to injuries and poor form.
As key players like Thiago and Jota return to restore Liverpool to full strength, their right-back is likely to flourish again.
