Liverpool made a significant decision over the summer. It has produced another Steven Gerrard for the Reds, and it is not Dominik Szoboszlai.
Jürgen Klopp had plenty to be happy about on Wednesday night. Not only did his Liverpool side win in difficult conditions against Bournemouth, but rivals Manchester United also failed miserably at Old Trafford.
Furthermore, one of Klopp’s stars imitated Steven Gerrard, proving the manager’s major summer decision correct once more. This time, it wasn’t Dominik Szoboszlai.
Since the summer, Szoboszlai has been the player who has received the most comparisons to Gerrard. That’s understandable given that the Hungarian chose the number eight shirt, has a Gerrard quote tattooed on his arm, and plays in central midfield, where he can score absolute wonder goals.
But Szoboszlai isn’t the only Gerrard-like player in Liverpool’s lineup. There is another player on the same trajectory as the former Liverpool legend, and he made a significant step forward in his career over the summer.
When both Jordan Henderson and James Milner left at the end of last season, Klopp faced a major decision in pre-season, not only about the captain’s armband but also about the vice-captaincy. The former was rightfully given to Virgil van Dijk, while the latter went to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It was a significant acknowledgement of the 25-year-old’s development at Liverpool. Starting in the club’s academy and working his way up the ranks to make his Liverpool debut as a teenager, he went on to become a starter, one of the best in his position in the world, and now a senior figure at Anfield.
Few players, other than Gerrard, have followed that path at Anfield in the last few decades. But it’s not just the path that draws comparisons to the Liverpool legend; it’s also Alexander-Arnold’s ability to be a match-winner while wearing the armband.
Alexander-Arnold proved that last night against Bournemouth. While Darwin Núñez will hog the headlines, rightly so, for his stunning winning goal, without Alexander-Arnold’s wonderfully weighted cross-field pass none of it would have been possible. The way the Liverpool full-back lifted the ball and looped it over Bournemouth’s defense screamed Gerrard in his prime. The former Liverpool captain would make passes like that to Fernando Torres all the time in a red shirt.
Now it’s Alexander-Arnold’s turn to do the same. The captaincy has also given him an extra new dimension. He seems even more motivated and determined on the pitch when he has the armband. It is no coincidence that Alexander-Arnold’s first three assists of the new season have all come while he was donning it.
His first came against Aston Villa to create the opening goal in the match. His second was against Toulouse to help Liverpool regain the lead. Now we have this match-winning pass against Bournemouth. Gerrard also thrived under the weight of the captain’s armband, and now it seems like Klopp has been able to unleash a similar evolution in Alexander-Arnold as well.
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