Liverpool made light work of Leeds United at Elland Road, as the Reds handed the home side a 6-1 drubbing.
The result made for another highlight in what has been a lackluster season for Liverpool, with impressive wins such as last night’s being sandwiched in between stretches of poor form.
Nevertheless, Jurgen Klopp’s side appeared to be back to their best against Leeds.
The Reds established a foothold early into the game, as they began dominating possession and creating good opportunities.
The first goal came through Cody Gakpo in the 35th minute, with braces from Mo Salah and Diogo Jota, and a 90th-minute goal from Darwin Nunez making up the rest of the scoreline.
The 5-star performance led to plenty of praise from fans online, and one man, in particular, was singled out for his outstanding display.
Fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a hot topic of discussion amongst fans all season, the 24-year-old has drawn quite a bit of criticism for his defensive vulnerabilities whilst attracting praise for his incredible passing range.
To counteract his frailties in defense, fans have long been clamoring for Trent to be deployed as a midfielder. And judging by his last 2 appearances in Red, Jurgen Klopp has started to think likewise.
As seen against Arsenal, Alexander-Arnold was deployed in a similar hybrid role at Leeds as well.
The fullback inverted into the midfield during Liverpool’s build-up phase, with Van Dijk, Konate, and Andy Robertson staying back to form a back 3.
This allowed the fullback greater freedom to assist Liverpool’s build-up and create overloads on the right-hand side with Mo Salah and Jordan Henderson.
With a lesser emphasis on dropping back and tracking opposition wingers, the England International was able to flourish on the offensive side of things.
This is reflected through his stats from the game- Trent garnered a total of 3 assists while maintaining a passing accuracy of 91%, and he also managed 18 ball recoveries.
The fullback’s signature long balls were also on display: throughout the 90 minutes, Trent completed 11 of 16 long passes, creating 6 chances with a combined xA of 1.44.
His assists on the night included an inch-perfect cross for Cody Gakpo to tap home for the opener, and a glorious, floated pass converted expertly by Darwin Nunez for the 6th goal.
Fans online were left in awe of the fullback’s performance in midfield, and some even began drawing comparisons to David Beckham and Andrea Pirlo.
There were also many calls for Trent to be shifted to midfield on a more permanent basis, and we can’t help but agree.
A more offensive role certainly brings out the best in the 24-year-old, and his long passes from more advanced positions could basically serve as a cheat code for Liverpool.
Of course, this will require a bit of adaptability from the side, including the potential signing for another center back in the summer window.
But we reckon the switch could be worth it, as Trent Alexander-Arnold could possibly be the right-sided midfielder Liverpool have been lacking for the past few years.
