Will 'super defender' Trent Alexander-Arnold be England's trump card?

At 25 years old, Alexander-Arnold has featured in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He missed EURO 2020 due to injury. However, the Liverpool star was only a "supporting player" as England manager Gareth Southgate placed his trust in Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier, right-backs with more impressive defensive capabilities.

Alexander-Arnold is expected to be a key player for the England national team.

REUTERS

But in Germany, Alexander-Arnold is predicted to start for England. Notably, he will play as a central midfielder instead of a right-back. At EURO 2024, he will also choose the number 8 shirt, a number previously worn by Frank Lampard and Jordan Henderson.

In manager Southgate's 4-3-3 formation, two players are guaranteed starters in midfield: Bellingham (left-sided) and Rice (center). The right-sided central midfield position will be contested between Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, and Adam Wharton.

In this group, Alexander-Arnold has the highest chance of starting. Mainoo and Wharton are too young (born in 2005 and 2004 respectively), and Gallagher plays as a box-to-box midfielder, a style of play relatively similar to Bellingham. Meanwhile, the top Premier League right-back has a very unique value that can help England go far: passing.

In the EURO 2024 group stage, England may face difficulties because their opponents are likely to "park the bus". For example, in their recent 0-1 defeat to Iceland, the "Three Lions" were extremely ineffective and only managed one shot on target. They mainly relied on breakthroughs and passes from Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, or Anthony Gordon, but this approach proved ineffective.

At this point, manager Southgate needs creative passes capable of tearing apart the opponent's defense, like what Alexander-Arnold has shown in the friendly matches leading up to EURO 2024. According to Sky Sports, on the day he was deployed as a central midfielder, the Liverpool player was England's best passer and crosser. When needed, he can run down the wing, deliver crosses to surprise opponents, or even take shots, and his spectacular volley against Bosnia and Herzegovina is a prime example. Besides that goal, he created five other chances for his teammates and completed 102 passes with nearly 90% accuracy. Of those, 12 passes were into the penalty area, a very high number.

At Liverpool, manager Jurgen Klopp also used Alexander-Arnold in the role of an inverted wingback. This means he was still positioned as a right-back, but when Liverpool were attacking, he would move into the center to work with the central midfielders to build up play. The Scouser's performances were also impressive thanks to his diverse passing abilities: through passes, long passes down and across the pitch, crosses, and low passes.

At EURO 2024, England was the most highly valued team, with a total value of €650 million. They boasted a host of stars such as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, and Harry Kane. But it's quite possible that the player who will make the difference for the "Three Lions" will be a defender: Alexander-Arnold. When freed from defensive duties and with the ball at his feet, the Liverpool star is always extremely dangerous.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/euro-2024-sieu-hau-ve-trent-alexander-arnold-se-la-at-chu-bai-cua-doi-tuyen-anh-185240616114257437.htm