Trent Alexander-Arnold made quite the impression in his opening England game under interim boss Lee Carsley.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s game by numbers vs Ireland:
108 touches (most), 87% passing accuracy, 10 passes into final third, 10/15 Accurate long balls, 7 ball recoveries, 2 chances created, 2/2 tackels won, 3/4 Duels won
In the match against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League Group F, England easily won 2-0 at the Aviva Stadium. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish were the goalscorers to help the Three Lions win all 3 points, but the Liverpool defender was the name that attracted attention.
After the failure at EURO 2024, Gareth Southgate decided to say goodbye to the England team. Coach Lee Carsley temporarily took charge of leading this expensive star squad, and one of his first decisions was to let Trent Alexander-Arnold start from the start in the right-back position.
The 25-year-old defender, along with Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire and Levi Colwill, formed a back four in the match against the Republic of Ireland. He played the full 90 minutes, was one of the best players of the match for the Three Lions, and received many positive reviews from fans.
This is the first time Trent Alexander-Arnold has played right-back for England in nearly four years. During that time, Gareth Southgate has preferred to push the Liverpool vice-captain into midfield to maximize his passing ability or leave him on the bench, with Kyle Walker naturally guaranteed a starting spot.
The Manchester City star was not named in the squad for the trip to the Aviva Stadium, with Tino Livramento the backup option. Lee Carsley decided to put Trent Alexander-Arnold in the position where he has impressed during his many seasons with Liverpool.
The new coach of the “Three Lions” decided to use his student in the same way as Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot. It seems that it immediately brought certain results. In addition to his relatively good defensive ability, he also often moved up to form a formidable attacking pair with Bukayo Saka on the right flank.
One particularly special pass from the Three Lions star almost saw Anthony Gordon find an opener within the first 11 minutes of action in a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
Lee Carsley could continue to think about naming him in the starting line-up for the next match against Finland. If Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to perform well, it will be the clearest answer to the future of the Liverpool defender in the national team.
After all that time wasted playing out of position for the Three Lions, now is the perfect time for Trent Alexander-Arnold to prove his ability at right-back. If successful, he will be able to make Kyle Walker afraid.