Paul Merson has told Sky Sports that Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold “wouldn’t have believed his luck” that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag did not play Marcus Rashford against him at Anfield in the Premier League this past weekend.
The former Arsenal star and Sky Sports pundit has said that Alexander-Arnold is “Liverpool’s weakest defender”.
Merson believes that Ten Hag should have played Manchester United forward Rashford against the England international right-back instead of against Liverpool central defender Virgil van Dijk.
Although United played well in the first half, they collapsed in the second period.
Liverpool hammered their bitter rivals 7-0 in the end.
Rashford had one of his worst games in a while.
The forward had just 26 touches before he was substituted late in the match.
The Englishman had two shots and one was on target.
Former Arsenal star Merson believes that Ten Hag was wrong tactically, and that he should have up his team so that Rashford would have been attacking Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold is not having the best of seasons and has been exposed defensively on a number of occasions.
As for Rashford, he had been flying in recent weeks.
Paul Merson on Erik ten Hag decision regarding Marcus Rashford during Liverpool vs Manchester United
Merson said: “”I’m not blaming Ten Hag because they lost, but why play Marcus Rashford against Virgil van Dijk? He plays out wide every week.
“You’ve got Liverpool’s weakest defender in Trent Alexander-Arnold having a free ride. Trent wouldn’t have believed his luck.
“Man Utd got it tactically wrong. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the set-up of the team – there is only one manager who could have got away with that and that is Ten Hag.”
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