Trent Alexander-Arnold Shatters Pep Guardiola’s ‘Cheat Code’ in Liverpool Playmaker Duel
Pep Guardiola has allowed Joo Cancelo to join Bayern Munich, and Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool is now the league’s most creative right-back.
Jürgen Klopp began working on a cheat code in 2016. In a Carabao Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur, the German gave a young right-back his Liverpool debut, and the academy graduate impressed in a 2-1 win.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was his name, and he would go on to fundamentally revolutionize the role of a full-back. As the Scouse defender rose through the ranks, it became evident that the Reds lacked imagination and inventiveness, particularly in the middle of the park.
In his engine room, Klopp emphasized industry and legs, with players like Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Mohamed Salah initially forced to give attacking returns from pressing situations. Liverpool lacked a playmaker, but Alexander-Arnold was selected as the guy to fill that need unexpectedly.
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Those types of players have traditionally operated in the middle of the pitch, with the conventional number 10 regarded as his team’s primary creator for the majority of Premier League history. Legends like Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, and Gianfranco Zola are just a few examples.
A wide player, such as David Beckham, would occasionally emerge as a playmaker, but those players were usually placed more forward and high up on the flanks. In that way, Alexander-Arnold shattered the pattern, as Klopp encouraged him to serve as a playmaker for his team despite his ostensibly deeper role as a full-back.
The traditional full-back was technically restricted and usually defensive. As a result, the go-to tactical approach has always been to give rival full-backs possession because they have never posed much of a threat.
Those players are frequently allowed to pick up the ball in space and do whatever they want, because they do not tend to injure their opponents when in control. In that regard, Alexander-Arnold posed an unconventional question, as he instantly positioned himself as a gifted player when on the ball.
He’s now 24 years old and is known for his incredible throwing range and ability to generate opportunities for his teammates. He already has 42 Premier League assists to his name, with many of them coming from his dangerous deliveries from wide areas.
Liverpool gained an advantage because to Alexander-exploitation Arnold’s of normally worthless locations on the field. Because of the particular risks offered by Klopp’s number 66 on the right side of the pitch, opponents had to rethink how they approached games against the Reds.
It was such a game-changing idea that Pep Guardiola quickly noticed and copied it. Every season, the Manchester City manager was vying against Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, and he gradually began to appreciate the importance that Alexander-Arnold was contributing.
He ultimately began to incorporate his version of the Merseyside star, Joo Cancelo. Though he was not directly engaged in creating opportunities, the Portuguese international had a significant impact on his team’s ability to move the ball at the Etihad Stadium.
Cancelo and Alexander-Arnold both placed inside the top two in the division for both progressive passes and passes into the penalty box last season, as Liverpool and Manchester City both accumulated over 90 points in England’s top flight.
Guardiola was successful in creating his version of the Liverpool-born full-back, but last week, unexpected news from Manchester came, with Cancelo given a surprise move to Bayern Munich. He will join on loan until the end of the season, with the German champions also given the option to purchase him.
Cancelo and Guardiola had a falling out behind closed doors, with the 28-year-old full-back unhappy with his game time at the Etihad. Moving forward, Alexander-Arnold appears to be the Premier League’s most creative full-back.
Liverpool isn’t competing on the same level as Manchester City this season for a variety of reasons, but if Klopp can rebuild his team’s strength next season, Guardiola will be forced to compete against the Reds without his crucial cheat code. The man in the Anfield dugout still has it, ready to be used to full effect when the team as a whole is restored to full operation.
