Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have told the Gary Neville podcast that Trent Alexander-Arnold looked much better defensively on Tuesday night as Liverpool easily brushed Manchester United aside 4-0 at Anfield.
A brace from Mo Salah and goals from Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane saw Liverpool dispatch their bitter rivals without any kind of threat on their goal. It sees the Reds climb to the top of the table, until tonight at least.
Manchester City take on Brighton at The Etihad tonight, with the Seagulls in good form having beaten both Arsenal and Tottenham in their last two games. Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold will likely be watching on tonight.
The England ace came up against Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho on Tuesday night but was defensively solid – perhaps playing more reserved than he usually does. Neville and Carragher praised him.
Neville said, having criticised Alexander-Arnold before: “I actually thought Alexander-Arnold defended really well tonight, as good as I’ve see him. He was alert in his defending. He was low, he was side-on, he was sharper.”
Liverpool legend Carragher added: “He’s got a lot more powerful, he’s got a lot more strength in his upper body. He can use his power, his strength in one-on-one defending. That was always a problem for him.”
Neville, Carragher praise: Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold improving
He is getting better and better. His attacking form has not dwindled, this season he has had a hand in 20 goals – scoring two and laying on a huge 18 assists. But Alexander-Arnold’s defensive work and stature has improved.
Visibly, as Carragher states, he has got bigger in terms of upper body and that could be giving him the confidence to win more tackles, headers, duels. But it is his positioning, which has come with experience, that is improving.
Not even 24, and Alexander-Arnold has 218 appearances for Liverpool under his belt. He is well on his way to becoming a Reds legend – a possible one-club man. Carragher played 737 times – and he could reach that.
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