Slot Will Have Headache Over ‘Shaky’ 3/10 Liverpool Man Despite Win vs Man City

Liverpool moved closer to the Premier League crown with a 2-0 victory against Manchester City, but Trent Alexander-Arnold will be happy his side won despite his awful performance at the Etihad. The English right-back has shined for Arne Slot’s Reds this season, and his impressive performances have explained why Real Madrid is interested in signing him in the summer.

The 26-year-old was instrumental in Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal in the 37th minute, sparking a fantastic move that ended with the Hungarian midfielder putting the visitors ahead two-nil. The outstanding Mohamed Salah opened the goal in the 14th minute on a day when the Merseyside club moved eleven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Liverpool were impressive and shown champion attributes in their away triumph over defending champions City. Slot will have a tremendous smile on his face after the game, however he may not be satisfied with Alexander-Arnold’s performance.

Alexander-Arnold stood out like a sore thumb throughout the city win.
Liverpool’s playmaking talent was a defensive nightmare.

“Is Alexander-Arnold good enough defensively?” This topic is regularly asked by Premier League pundits, prompting Slot’s predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, to go on the defence in January. There’s little doubt that Liverpool’s vice-captain is one of the best ball-players in the world; in fact, Glenn Hoddle would call him the best.

However, his playmaking profile was overshadowed by a defensive debacle at the Etihad Stadium, which saw him become the first Premier League player to be dribbled past more than ten times since the 2015-16 season. In such a high-profile game, this figure is concerning and raises red flags.

Alexander-Arnold was the Reds’ worst performer on the day, winning only three of 14 duels (two of 13 ground duels and one aerial combat), and he was wasteful with the ball, losing it 17 times. City’s Jeremy Doku hammered him and forced him to provide a similarly poor performance to his 2-2 draw with Manchester United in January.

GIVEMESPORT gave him a 5.5/10 rating, the Express gave him a 5/10 rating, and GOAL gave him a 3/10 rating, explaining that he ‘looked so shaky defensively that Doku left him on the ground, and Salah had to rush in behind to help the Reds recover’.

Slot has relied on the Madrid target all season, but there may be concerns about his dependability in games of this magnitude at the Etihad. Conor Bradley has impressed when coming in for Alexander-Arnold, and he could be in line for a promotion if his boss believes a more defensive-minded right-back is required, such as in his team’s UEFA Champions League last-16 match against Paris Saint-Germain.

⚠️ | QUICK STAT

Trent Alexander-Arnold has today become the first player to be dribbled past more than 10 times in one Premier League match since 2015/16. 😳

In somewhat related news, Jérémy Doku completed the most dribbles by one player in a PL match this season (13). 😅… pic.twitter.com/pea7gFDUX3

— Sofascore Football (@SofascoreINT) February 23, 2025

Fans Put Alexander-Arnold’s ‘Woeful’ Defending On Blast

The Liverpool defender can’t shake off doubts over his defensive reliability

Former England manager Gareth Southgate was heavily criticised for the Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment, which he first employed during the European Championships last summer. Many questioned whether he could rely on Liverpool’s right-back, and his decision was telling.

Fans are more open about their opinions on the subject, and his performance versus City did not go over well on social media, with one fan writing, ‘It can’t be mentioned enough how horrible Trent Alexander-Arnold is at defending lol’.

Another fan said, ‘Trent Alexander-Arnold, you are shocking,’ while another agreed, ‘Alexander Arnold is such a horrible defender. I realise that isn’t breaking news, but every time you watch him, you are reminded of how horrible he is.

Another fan responded, “Alexander Arnold is officially a woeful defender,” and there’s hard to argue with that assessment considering games like today. He is often fantastic with the ball at his feet, but he is the weak link in the backline when up against a quick attacker.