Liverpool are Premier League champions. Champions of England once more for a record-equalling twentieth time. Nothing ought to overshadow that outstanding achievement amid a shocking debut marketing campaign for supervisor, Arne Slot.
And but, an undesirable distraction or sub-plot has emerged following the circus surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s future, with the England worldwide confirming the information final week that he’s set to finish his prolonged affiliation with the Anfield facet on the climax of the marketing campaign.
A boyhood hero and academy graduate, the 26-year-old – now set to enter his prime years – has determined to tackle the subsequent chapter of his profession at Actual Madrid, amid the expectation that he’ll be part of the LaLiga giants on a free switch this summer time.
That seemingly inevitable information was met with an understandably combined response from the house crowd through the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, with Alexander-Arnold the topic of a good few boos and jeers as he entered the fray late on.
On the proof of that cameo, it seems as if the right-back’s beautiful Merseyside journey is about to finish on a bitter observe. Maybe, the time could have come to take him out of the firing line for the remaining video games of the season.
Trent’s cameo in numbers vs Arsenal
There was life after the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane – there can be life after Trent at Anfield.
With Conor Bradley mendacity in wait to tackle that right-back berth, the succession plan is in place for Slot and co, with the runaway champions deserving to finish 2024/25 on a excessive, slightly than being overshadowed by speak over their departing star.
The defender with the most assists to his identify in Premier League historical past, the rampaging full-back is an undoubtedly “world-class participant“, as per former boss Jurgen Klopp, however – as Sunday showcased – he is not irreplaceable.
Certainly, regardless of a largely optimistic cameo, through which he loved an 86% move accuracy charge and received 100% of his whole duels, Alexander-Arnold was maybe culpable for the away facet’s equaliser, having failed to trace goalscorer Mikel Merino.
That will seem a harsh evaluation, though the Liverpool man was stage with the Spaniard as Martin Odegaard struck from vary, though it was the Euro 2024 winner who reacted far faster to pounce on the rebound and head residence.
|
Trent stats vs Arsenal |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
File |
|
Minutes performed |
23 |
|
Touches |
20 |
|
Cross accuracy |
86% |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Lengthy balls accomplished |
1/3 |
|
Complete duels received |
1/1 |
|
Interceptions |
1 |
|
Tackles |
1 |
|
Possession misplaced |
3 |
Such a second maybe epitomised the continuing debate surrounding Alexander-Arnold’s defensive prowess, with now the time handy the reins to younger Bradley completely for the remaining two video games.
Trent has been a centre-piece of success on Merseyside in current occasions, however now he belongs to the previous. The identical may be stated of club-record signing, Darwin Nunez.
The Liverpool star who Slot now wants to exchange
Regardless of the dearth of a recognised centre-forward various to Nunez, it could seem that Slot has gone out of his approach to discover an alternate resolution this season, slightly than deploying the £85m man by way of the center.
Certainly, the Uruguayan “madman” – as described by membership legend Jamie Carragher – has began simply eight league video games all season beneath the brand new regime, with rumours rife that he can be on his method this summer time.
Signed by Klopp in the summertime of 2022, Nunez appeared set to be Liverpool’s equal to Manchester Metropolis’s Erling Haaland, not least after getting the higher of the Norwegian after scoring within the Neighborhood Defend firstly of that first marketing campaign.
Sadly for the now-25-year-old, he has since scored simply 40 objectives in 141 video games in all competitions. In that very same timeframe, Haaland has netted 120 occasions from 139 outings for the Residents.
The forgotten determine is now wanting extra like Rasmus Hojlund than Haaland, in reality, having really been outscored by Manchester United’s struggling striker in 2024/25. Hojlund boasts ten objectives throughout all fronts, whereas Nunez, against this, has netted simply seven occasions beneath Slot’s watch.
For a participant along with his hefty price ticket, that return merely is not ok, with Sunday’s transient cameo having once more laid naked his woes, after shedding the ball on six events from simply 11 touches.
Once more described as ‘peripheral’ following his arrival from the bench, as per the Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle, the misfiring marksman is not even offering the chaos lately, with time having come for a everlasting improve and alternative to be acquired this summer time.
And so, whereas the case of Trent could level to a participant whom Liverpool are begrudgingly being pressured to lose, for Nunez, it is a man for whom Slot certainly cannot wait to be rid of.
Along with his future wanting set to lie elsewhere this summer time, maybe we have now now seen the checklist of the previous Benfica man within the purple jersey.
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