How National Media Reacted to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Performance in England’s Shøck Defeat to Greece
Liverpool are closely monitoring the status of 16 of their senior players who are on international duty this week.
In light of recent injury concerns, the Reds are understandably cautious, as the last thing they need is for more players to return with issues while away on international duty.
Alexis Mac Allister was notably sidelined for Argentina’s match against Venezuela, which ended in a draw. However, Thursday still saw five Liverpool players featuring for their respective national teams.
Among those in action was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who started at right-back for England against Greece. His selection represented a significant shift for the Three Lions, signaling a change in the lineup.
Typically used as a backup to Kyle Walker since his international debut in 2018, Alexander-Arnold played the full 90 minutes in the match, while Walker remained on the bench throughout.
Unfortunately, it was not an ideal outcome for the Liverpool star and the English team. Following a surprising 2-1 loss to Greece, the English media has since weighed in on Trent’s performance.
How English Media Rated Trent Alexander-Arnold Performance vs Greece
England had been expected to comfortably defeat Greece at Wembley, and there was little doubt about it.
Following their relegation to Nations League Group B, the Three Lions were anticipated to dominate their opponents, especially on home soil.
However, England fell to two goals from Vangelis Pavlidis, with the match-winner coming in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
For Trent Alexander-Arnold, it might have felt like he missed an opportunity to cement his position as England’s first-choice right-back.
Yet, according to The Daily Mail, that might not be the full story. They rated him a 6 out of 10, claiming that Liverpool’s No.66 was actually England’s best performer over the course of the match.
On the other hand, The Independent was less generous, rating Alexander-Arnold a 5 out of 10 and criticising him as being “too lax defensively,” especially for Pavlidis’ winning goal. Since Trent wasn’t involved in the lead-up to the goal, that judgment seems somewhat unfair.
Finally, The Telegraph concurred with a five out of ten rating, but highlighted a “lovely” cross to Anthony Gordon as one of his better moments. They suggested that Alexander-Arnold found more success when he stayed wide rather than drifting inside.
Many Liverpool players will be in action this week as several of them are away on international duty. More of the team is expected to play on Friday.
Dominik Szoboszlai is set to face off against several of his Dutch teammates when Hungary takes on the Netherlands. Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo are all likely to start for the Oranje.
Meanwhile, Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is on loan, is expected to start for Georgia in their match against Ukraine. With Alisson Becker dealing with an injury, Liverpool fans may pay closer attention to how Mamardashvili performs.
In Africa, Mohamed Salah will represent Egypt as they face Mauritania in their African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Although the international break started poorly for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas had reason to celebrate, despite ultimately missing Thursday’s game due to illness.
In other news, “Authoritarian”: Nation’s Media Hails Liverpool Ace for His Display on International Duty, 96% Pass Accuracy
