12 ball recoveries; four ground duels won: Liverpool ace had monstrous first-half v Fulham

03.05.2023 23:33

Empire of The Kop

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to a midfield role (when in possession) is clearly paying dividends as far as his ability to influence proceedings is concerned.

The England international certainly enjoyed a monstrous first-half for Liverpool against Fulham, even by his own standards, with 12 ball recoveries and four ground duels won standing out amongst a plethora of impressive stats, as released on Twitter by @StatmanDave.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s first half by numbers vs. Fulham:

79% pass accuracy
47 passes completed
17 final third passes
12 ball recoveries
4 ground duels won
3 shots
3 tackles won
3 long balls completed
2 interceptions
2 crosses completed
1 big chance created… pic.twitter.com/M6dLN8JdbX

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 3, 2023

There are still serious concerns in the middle of the park that can only be resolved with senior additions to the department this summer.

Should Trent Alexander-Arnold be moved into the midfield?

Beyond that, there’s a serious conversation in need of having in terms of whether the No.66 is better-suited being moved permanently into a midfield role, perhaps as part of a double six alongside a more defensively-minded holding midfielder.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is flourishing in his new hybrid role – (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

We’ve no doubt that will be looked at extensively by the coaching staff during pre-season when we’re looking to tinker with systems and new signings within that, though we shouldn’t lose track of just how exciting an option our fullback has become in the middle of the park.

With plenty of space to exploit ahead of him and, as the clash with Fulham serves to demonstrate, the Academy graduate has all the traits necessary to thrive in a more central role under Jurgen Klopp.

EOTK Insider: The two-time gold medalist who is the only man to sign for Liverpool and Everton on two separate occasions