Admittedly, Liverpool’s overall goal could have been better.
The battle of Britain, however, was a one-sided one.
And no, this time no one could complain about Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Not often “You never walk alone” Clearly he was booed like Tuesday night at Anfield.
The song has, to say the least, a negative connotation for the Rangers supporters as their worst competitor, Celtic, also sings it. The relationship between the Scots and the English may also be strained on the pitch (and in the stands), but the truth is that Rangers have never faced Liverpool until today. However, that didn’t stop the match from being under the title ‘Battle of Britain’.
Describing Liverpool’s start to worry is no exaggeration. Jurgen Klopp’s explosive 4-3-3 performance, which finished one point behind champions Man City a few months ago, was a lackluster version of himself. Mohamed Salah no longer drops goals, Virgil van Dijk’s performance faltered, midfield exposed and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive style came under more criticism than ever.
Configuration change
In the Champions League meeting with Rangers, Klopp decided to do something he rarely does: change the squad. A 4–2–3–1 and 4–4–2 mix was formed, with Thiago and Jordan Henderson playing as midfielder and Diogo Jota playing behind Darwin Nunez.
Additionally, Alexander-Arnold was pulled into the right-back position. The debate over whether the 23-year-old is a good or bad footballer is of course completely meaningless, and the answer is that he is a great footballer with some defensive flaws.
In the 3-3 draw with Brighton, one of his most obvious concerns was the inability to act proactively rather than reactive. A quick glance over the shoulder from time to time would have helped the right-back track Leandro Trossard and thus end up in the right position.
With Alexander-Arnold now staying low on the field, there was no gap for Rangers to use in defence, but his impressive feet were still used extensively going forward. In terms of play, Liverpool dominated and after seven minutes got a direct free kick outside the penalty area. The second time the Englishman sent the ball across the crossbar behind 40-year-old goalkeeper Alan McGregor, Klopp gave a big, relieved smile.
Nunez shows promising inclinations
“Alexander Arnold silenced critics,” you’ll read some headlines for sure. But on the other hand, no one doubted his offensive qualities. More than once he gently passed the ball through the opponent, to one of his moving teammates in the offensive line and was solid in fencing play.
Despite the big advantage (with a total of 24 goal chances against six), the numbers finally fell to 2-0 after Mohamed Salah pulled the extension with a penalty soon after halftime. Nunez, whose start in England was not perfect, has shown promising tendencies despite a lack of goals. With more time to play, Uruguay’s confidence is sure to get stronger.
The Battle of Great Britain was a one-sided battle, apart from the unimaginable goal line of left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas. Two consecutive Champions League wins (plus Napoli’s win over Ajax) give Liverpool peace of mind after their initial meltdown at Napoli. At least they are heading in the right direction.