‘Best in the world’: Tottenham coach makes claim about Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold

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Jermain Defoe has waxed lyrical about the ‘masterclass’ Trent Alexander-Arnold put on during Liverpool’s drama-filled draw against Arsenal on Sunday.

The former striker, who is now a coach at Tottenham’s academy, added that Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘thinks like a number nine’ and he is ‘the best in the world’ when it comes to passing.

Whilst many still question the 24-year-old’s defending – and Tony Adams was certainly critical of him at Anfield.

The offensive side of his game has always been top dollar, but over the weekend, against the best team in the land, he made the difference.

With Liverpool pushing for that equaliser, he nutmegged Oleksandr Zinchenko, before proceeding to dink a lovely ball for Roberto Firmino to equalise. 

It was the attack-minded right-back at his very best and Defoe couldn’t stop singing his praises, as he told Premier League Productions (10/04/23 at 5:20 pm). 

“When you watch it back, it was a masterclass really, in terms of from Trent Alexander-Arnold,” said Defoe. “It was a masterclass in passing. He has got every club in the bag. His range of passing is unbelievable.

“He was probably the best player on the pitch, to be honest – because he is so good going forward, I just think you have to give him that freedom to that. He creates things out of nothing. He is just a phenomenal passer with the ball.

“He thinks like a number nine. He gives you so much going forward. If he wasn’t on the pitch, then Liverpool would have probably lost the game, to be honest. I keep saying it, it was a masterclass performance from him with the ball – his range of passing is the best in the world, for sure.”

XHAKA FIRES UP TRENT

There was a lot made of Granit Xhaka’s altercation with Alexander-Arnold in the first half, which got the duo booked and then saw Liverpool score. 

Jamie Carragher certainly wasn’t happy with the Arsenal midfielder, but it had nothing to do with the Reds pulling a goal back less than a minute later.

But, one thing it did do, was fire up Alexander-Arnold to the max because the £180k-a-week star (Spotrac) was far more aggressive in his defending after that Xhaka moment.