Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead late in Jurgen Klopp‘s penultimate match because the membership’s supervisor as Aston Villa fought tooth and nail to safe a draw within the Premier League and step nearer towards Champions League qualification, ultimately drawing 3-3.
There’s been an acute drop-off inside this gifted Liverpool facet previously few months, who, let’s be sincere, had been performing above expectations for a lot of this emotional marketing campaign, turbo-charged by the sensible guiding gentle of Klopp’s swansong.
Frailties had been obvious at Villa Park, however so too had been the strengths and the model of a workforce nonetheless growing, but to enter its new period below Arne Slot.
The way forward for vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold stays up within the air, out of contract on the finish of the 2024/25 season and reportedly attracting ominous consideration from Actual Madrid, and whereas he is a world-class participant, he will probably be displeased together with his effort towards Unai Emery’s facet.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s efficiency vs Villa
Alexander-Arnold has endured a little bit of a irritating marketing campaign for Liverpool, producing some resounding performances when Klopp’s workforce was at its finest all through the opening half of the marketing campaign earlier than falling prey to accidents which have disrupted a lot of the latter half of the time period.
Nonetheless, he is bagged three targets and 9 assists in all competitions and has began Liverpool’s previous 5 top-flight fixtures, however he flattered to deceive towards the Villans.
|
Trent Alexander-Arnold: Stats vs Aston Villa |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
# |
|
Minutes performed |
90′ |
|
Touches |
82 |
|
Correct passes |
49/58 (84%) |
|
Photographs heading in the right direction |
1 |
|
Photographs off beam |
1 |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Possession misplaced |
16x |
|
Tackles |
1 |
|
Interceptions |
2 |
|
Error resulting in shot |
1 |
|
Duels received |
1/7 |
|
Dribbled previous |
5x |
|
Sourced through Sofascore |
|
It wasn’t a dreadful show but it surely did go away lots to be desired, with The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle handing the inventive full-back a 6/10 match ranking, noting his early makes an attempt to push ahead and have an effect on the play however gradual shift right into a extra defensive function to take care of the hosts’ advances.
The reporter wrote: ‘Frequently drifted right into a central midfield place early on however compelled into extra defending earlier than break and second half extra one in all attrition. Denied by Martinez with one thunderbolt.’
However Doyle’s ideas don’t hone in on the dismal defensive efforts that allowed Villa to slice via the Reds’ defence with ease at instances, profitable only one duel out of seven battles all night time and likewise being dribbled previous 5 instances.
The 25-year-old additionally made an error and created only one key cross. He might need fired a ferocious strike at Emiliano Martinez however this was not a great demonstration of his superabundance of expertise.
As The Athletic’s James Pearce aptly places it: “Defensive points for Slot to deal with this summer time. One clear sheet within the final 16 PL video games tells a narrative.”
Final season, a horribly substandard and disjointed Liverpool facet shipped 47 targets within the Premier League; this time period, if a clear sheet is stored towards Wolverhampton Wanderers on the closing day of the marketing campaign this weekend, that determine could have been bettered solely by six.
There may be a lot work to do, and whereas Slot and all concerned at Liverpool would despair on the considered Alexander-Arnold plying his commerce elsewhere, he might want to enhance within the defensive third – this felt like one thing of a regression.
Associated
Darwin Nunez axed, £180m trio signal: Arne Slot’s dream XI at Liverpool
Issues might be trying quite totally different at Anfield come August.
