Arne Slot has been handed an incredible group of players as he prepares for his first season in charge of the Reds, with Jurgen Klopp leading Liverpool back into the Premier League title picture last season.
It is going to be fascinating to see which players thrive under Slot; perhaps there could be one or two surprises as certain players adapt to their new manager’s demands much better than some would perhaps expect.
But one of the key men for Slot is surely going to be Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the Liverpool man clearly possessing the kind of talent very few players have, particularly in possession. The 25-year-old has now been directly involved in 100 goals in 310 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Declan Rice lauds Trent Alexander-Arnold after England reach Euro 2024 semi-final
And it was Alexander-Arnold who scored the penalty which sent England to the semi-final of Euro 2024 on Saturday, with the versatile full-back coming on during extra-time against Switzerland.
Speaking on Lions’ Den, Declan Rice insisted that he was not at all surprised to see Alexander-Arnold cooly beat Yann Sommer from the spot, even with all of the pressure which was on his shoulders.
Trent Alexander-Arnold of England scores the winning penalty during the shoot out during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between England and...
Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images
“When Trent has got a right foot like he has got, it’s insane what he can produce with a football. And I was thinking from 12 yards with his right foot, no way he is missing,” he said.
What is not being said enough about Liverpool star’s penalty
It has probably not been spoken about enough how much pressure was on Alexander-Arnold. Obviously, England were in a strong position, with Manuel Akanji having his spot-kick saved by Jordan Pickford. But things can change quickly in a penalty shootout, and it seems to be a common thing for the team who misses first to go on and win.
So Alexander-Arnold would have been desperate to shut the door on the Swiss, particularly when you consider how his tournament had been going before that – with Alexander-Arnold dropping out of the side after initially starting in midfield alongside Rice in Germany.
Thankfully for England, his penalty showed no signs of nerves whatsoever.
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