Liverpool

Liverpool: Journalist slams star man after UCL final performance

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Image for Liverpool: Journalist slams star man after UCL final performance

Journalist Jordan Cronin took to Twitter to slam Liverpool’s star right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold as ‘terrible’ for his Champions League final performance, especially on his defensive side against Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. 

Liverpool failed to add a seventh Champions League title to their trophy cabinet after they lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in a disappointing display, making it the second time they lost in this game to Los Blancos under Jurgen Klopp’s tenure.

The loss means that despite having an impressive season by reaching the final of the illustrious competition and pushing Manchester City to the final day in the Premier League, they only managed to walk away with trophies in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup after being on for the quadruple.

One player who received a lot of criticism for his performance in the big game was England international Alexander-Arnold, despite impressing throughout the season once again, he failed to step up in the final and ultimately had a part to play in Madrid’s winning goal.

Cronin took to Twitter to air his displeasure with the right-back and his defensive performance, writing, “Trent Alexander Arnold tonight, by the way. Terrible. Rarely got close to Vinicius. Had the freedom of the left side all night”.

TIF Thoughts on Cronin’s comments…

Is Trent Alexander-Arnold a bad defender?

Yes

Yes

No

No

The England international has impressed this season, racking up two goals and 19 assists in all competitions this season for Liverpool, including four assists in the Champions League. However, despite this, he did not step up in the big game and his Sofascore stats show this.

Even though he was given a 7.2 rating by the website, he only managed two interceptions, two tackles, zero clearance, and zero shots blocked while being dribbled past twice in the game. He also only managed to win two of his five ground duels and lost possession 24 times while committing one foul. And, he misplaced 13 passes and lost the ball 24 times.

There is no doubt that Alexander-Arnold is a wonderful player and one of the best at the position in world football, but not showing up in the biggest game of the season will surely hurt and once again his defensive weaknesses were shoved into the spotlight. Ranking in the 6th percentile for pressures, 16th for tackles, 8th for blocks, 20th for clearances, and 8th for aerials duels is just not good enough for a player who wants to win the top trophies. (Fbref)

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1 comment

  • Martin Badger says:

    It is perfectly true Trent had a very poor game, way below his usual standard. He is a very good player but he did not show it in this match, when it was needed most. In fairness, very few players gave standout performances save Courtois.

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