Jamie Carragher says two Liverpool players were ‘really poor’ against Arsenal tonight
Salah’s goal was set-up beautifully by a booming Trent Alexander-Arnold pass. It was the best moment of a very good half from Liverpool’s right-back, and it was heralded by Crouch who took to X to praise Alexander-Arnold.
“Trent with an exhibition of passing 1st half !!” wrote the 42-year-old.
When he’s in that kind of form, there’s not much you can do to stop Liverpool’s No.66. Delightful.
Crouch hails Trent display
Trent was indeed very, very good against Arsenal this evening. The first-half in particular really showcased just how impressing his passing range is.
Taking up the ball in a deep-lying position not far out of his own half, there didn’t appear to be much on for the 25-year-old.
But he turned nothing into something within the blink of an eye. His ball out to Salah was inch-perfect, allowing the Egyptian take it under control, beat Oleksandr Zinchenko and lash it past David Raya.
From there on in, Alexander-Arnold continued to create for Liverpool, without ever being able to be decisive.
And while his passing remained on point, it was with his shooting that Trent could have ultimately made a difference.
This time, it was Salah’s turn to play provider. With Liverpool pouring forward into the Arsenal half, Mo saw Alexander-Arnold race beyond him into the box.
The 31-year-old’s pass wasn’t quite perfect, and bobbled up just before he hit it. But you’d still have expected Trent to bury this one. Instead, it rattled back off the bar. Chance missed.
Nevertheless, the two moments showed just what an important player Alexander-Arnold is for Liverpool.
Terrific in the pass and so very nearly the match-winner yet again. What a player.
And speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports ahead of the game, former Liverpool captain Jamie Redknapp suggested that Elliott had been mightily unlucky to miss out.
“Harvey Elliott was another who was brilliant [against West Ham],” Redknapp claimed.
“He’s one who could be thinking ‘I thought might have got my chance’ [in the starting XI].
Redknapp says Elliott unlucky to miss out
In terms of tonight’s starting line-up, Elliott was never really going to get into it. He was indeed very good against the Hammers, but for whatever reason, Klopp doesn’t quite trust him in the Premier League.
It isn’t like the youngster hasn’t been knocking at the door for a while, too. In fairness to him, Elliott has been very, very good all year.
But his impact has largely come off the bench. 18 games in, the former Fulham prospect has only started one league match all season.
So, although he hasn’t featured so far tonight, Elliott will surely still get on the pitch at some stage. He’s Klopp’s new ‘super-sub.’
Although it’s a role that Liverpool’s No.19 has attempted to distance himself from in recent times, Jurgen’s decision to bench him again here shows that he still has work to do in that regard.
You could understand if Elliott were frustrated by that. Micah Richards recently claimed that the England U21 international would start for pretty much every other Premier League side.
But there’s still plenty to be said for the job he’s been doing at Liverpool.
He may not be guaranteed to start, even when he arguably deserves to. But if he keeps on putting in displays like on Wednesday, he will get his chances.
With the Reds not starting well against Arsenal, he’ll be needed later on.
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