When the post-match discussion focuses on the player who has been dominating headlines in the previous days, it’s fair to question if that analysis is reasonable, or whether it’s simply a convenient narrative to keep everyone talking.
On this occasion, the analysis was entirely fair: Trent Alexander-Arnold, subject of a transfer approach by Real Madrid, had a very difficult game in Liverpool’s 2-2 home draw against Manchester United on Sunday.
The idea that Alexander-Arnold can struggle defensively is, clearly, nothing new. He is, at heart, a playmaker who got converted into a right-back because that was the simplest pathway into Liverpool’s first team. The last couple of seasons have featured attempts to field him more centrally when they are in possession, but he remains a problem without the ball.
So how did United exploit those problems so effectively?
Well, the first issue was that head coach Ruben Amorim, as he’s done in every game since taking charge at the end of November, fielded wing-backs in a 3-4-3. Therefore, Alexander-Arnold often had a decision to make about who to press — left wing-back Diogo Dalot, or United’s inside-left Bruno Fernandes.
Here, inside the first minute, he is initially picking up Fernandes.
When the ball is played across to Dalot, Alexander-Arnold heads towards him, leaving team-mate Ryan Gravenberch to follow Fernandes. But Alexander-Arnold is too late with his press, and midfielder Gravenberch gets dragged out of the centre, opening up a forward passing lane.
Striker Rasmus Hojlund moves into that space to receive the ball, and already United can bypass Liverpool’s press.
So, the next time United try that passing move across defence and out to Dalot a few minutes later, what happens? Mohamed Salah presses Lisandro Martinez and calls on Alexander-Arnold to jump forward onto Dalot again. But this time Alexander-Arnold seems scared to move up, as Fernandes is in his zone. Dalot can therefore advance with the ball unchecked.
A big part of United’s strategy was to field Fernandes wider and deeper than usual, essentially in the gap between Salah, who presses well but rarely tracks back, and Alexander-Arnold.
Look at his heatmap from yesterday. It’s unlike anything else from him this season — on this basis, you would think Fernandes, rather than Dalot, was the wing-back at Anfield.
And that duo worked in tandem. The first time Dalot went down the outside of Alexander-Arnold, Fernandes was almost in a blocking position to prevent him getting too tight, although the Liverpool right-back eventually recovered.
Here’s an example of Dalot moving infield, laying the ball left to Fernandes out on the touchline, then sprinting in behind for a return pass. This led to Dalot crossing for Amad, who probably should have done better with his headed effort.
Such was Liverpool’s concern about that flank, at some stages they overcompensated.
With all due respect to Dalot, they shouldn’t have needed two central midfielders in position to help Alexander-Arnold deal with him here:
But the problems generally came from Fernandes’ positioning.
Here’s Alexander-Arnold getting beaten by a Dalot backheel, and Fernandes moving into his zone — Alexis Mac Allister has to come across and foul him by the touchline.
And here’s Alexander-Arnold switching off to allow Fernandes to receive an Amad ball in behind — Ibrahima Konate deserves credit for covering so quickly.
United piled on the pressure by adding to that zone with extra players.
Alexander-Arnold was so concerned by Dalot and Fernandes’ movement that he seemingly had no idea Hojlund was running into the channel to collect this good ball over the top from Martinez for United’s best chance of the first half. In fairness to Alexander-Arnold, this isn’t really his responsibility, but this was clearly the danger zone. Hojlund shot straight at goalkeeper Alisson.
The pattern continued in the second half.
Here, Alexander-Arnold isn’t in a good enough covering position when Konate is dragged up to compete in an aerial battle. Dalot reacts to the second ball first, and centre-back Virgil van Dijk has to sprint across and cover.
Fernandes’ movement continued to cause problems.
Here, when United played the ball out to Dalot, United’s captain initially went to sprint into the channel but, noticing that Gravenberch was following him, suddenly halted his movement and ran backwards, which opened up space for a one-against-one sprint out wide. Dalot had more pace than Alexander-Arnold, and again got into a crossing position.
United’s opening goal eventually came early in the second half when Martinez, for the first time in the match, pushed into the final third. Although he struggled badly in the 2-0 loss to Newcastle a week ago, the Argentina international is perhaps the United player Amorim’s system suits best on paper, as a left-footed centre-back who can attack.
Here, Salah tries to come back and help out defensively, but three Liverpool players get attracted to Fernandes, whose ball between them finds Martinez, unmarked, who crashes an angled shot home.
Liverpool turned the game around, but were still vulnerable in that zone — even more so after Amorim brought on Alejandro Garnacho for extra speed on 72 minutes. Here, breaking in behind Gravenberch and with Alexander-Arnold way out of position, Garnacho should have been put through on goal — but Noussair Mazraoui strangely tried to play the ball in behind Konate, rather than in front of him and into the young winger’s feet.
Garnacho’s introduction, in place of Kobbie Mainoo, meant Fernandes dropped back to play as a deeper midfielder. But he still moved to the left. And Amad’s 80th-minute equaliser came when Dalot, Fernandes and Garnacho all positioned themselves on the left, and played on the outside of Liverpool’s block.
To complicate matters, Konate and Alexander-Arnold had briefly switched positions. This concession was unfortunate for Liverpool, as Garnacho’s cross was deflected nicely into the path of Amad. But Konate wasn’t a natural at closing down out wide, and Alexander-Arnold probably wasn’t comfortable defending the near post.
Alexander-Arnold was eventually replaced by Conor Bradley with four minutes of the 90 to go — somewhat belatedly, considering his struggles throughout the game.
Bradley, 21, might be Liverpool’s first-choice right-back next season. But for now, yesterday offered a significant pointer for Liverpool’s upcoming opponents — their right flank is vulnerable, and positioning your main playmaker there can cause them problems.
