How Liverpool’s new Trent Alexander-Arnold has put them in driving seat for Premier League title

LIVERPOOL are in pole position to retain their Premier League title.

Arne Slot‘s defending champions secured a potentially massive 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, courtesy of a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick.

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Thanks to that effort, the Reds remain the only top-flight side with a 100 per cent win record after three games.

And the key to this success has come from their right-back.

Despite Trent Alexander-Arnold sealing a move to Real Madrid in the summer, it has been Hungarian ace Szoboszlai who has been the key difference maker for Liverpool so far this season.

Combine this new tactical ploy with a record-breaking window of spending – their £446million splash being the most ever spent by a Prem side in a window – and it’s clear to see why they are backed as hot favourites.

But what is it about Szoboszlai’s role which has made him so invaluable to Slot already?

Luckily we can answer that question on the latest edition of SunSport’s Tactics Exposed show with tactical guru Dean Scoggins.

Arteta’s Szob story

While it was ultimately a world class free-kick which split the two title challengers, it was far from a classic game of football, with Slot even admitting that if the game was played out ten times, eight would end in a draw.

But from a tactical perspective, it was a case of two sides cancelling each other out – with Arsenal lacking the bravery to go for the game with Liverpool there for the taking.

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But one thing which Liverpool were able to rely upon was the role played by Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back.

With Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch back in the midfield pivot, it allowed Szoboszlai to perform the role seen by Alexander-Arnold. Indeed, it was a lot like a “Trent 2.0”.

In possession, out of possession, in shape, and then his remarkable free-kick that any of the great set-piece takers would be proud of – even though the 24-year-old reckons it is not even his best.

Slot spoke about “rest defence” in the Arsenal game. And it was something Szoboszlai absolutely nailed while in the inside right pocket.

Szoboszlai was always in the right place at the right time to pounce on a loose ball when Arsenal attempted to clear the danger from around the penalty box.

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And that is not to even mention the outstanding range of passing that was on display, whether he was in the pocket or raking long balls forward like a quarterback.

Looking at his heat map against Arsenal, you can see how he operated heavily in that inside pocket.

But in turn it shows off how much space was left behind him, and how with some more ambition, Arsenal could have changed the flow of the game – like how Newcastle had a lot of joy with their wingers attacking the space behind Szobszlai last week.

That being said, Szobszlai was certainly helped by Ibrahima Konate having a much better game than against the Magpies as well as the return of Mac Allister in midfield.

Park the Van

Virgil van Dijk had a superb game against Arsenal, and his great games are something we do seem to take for granted.

To be honest, Viktor Gyokeres did not have a good time. He made some good runs that were not found, but part of the reason for that was down to Van Dijk’s excellent decision-making.

Whether it was leaving Gyokeres to Konate or dropping off to deal with the pass or even stepping into midfield to intercept the ball, it was a real defensive clinic.

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And all of that is down to his starting position, which is nearly always perfect.

Ultimately, he is the glue that holds the team together. We have seen Joe Gomez being capable of replacing Konate and Szoboszlai replacing Alexander-Arnold.

But you struggle to see who could possibly replace Van Dijk. If he gets injured, it could be catastrophic for their title hopes.

Hungar gains

While we have been busy raving about Szoboszlai so far, we need to touch on his Hungary team-mate, Milos Kerkez.

Early on, the £40m summer arrival from Bournemouth gave fans cause for concern over whether they might have bought an expensive dud.

But he put many of those doubts to rest against Arsenal.

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Before he had not really been afforded the chance to play “his way” as a bombing full-back, but with his compatriot’s excellence on the right side of defence, Kerkez was given more freedom to play his preferred role.

It took just 37 seconds for him to make the most of this freedom by bombing forwards, making it a “cat and mouse” game between him and Noni Madueke – who would have been told by Mikel Arteta to track his man.

On that note, Madueke was the bravest of Arsenal’s forwards in possession. There’s no way he can exactly replace Bukayo Saka, but he did a good job of showing what he can do.

Arsenal’s Bermuda Triangle

Coming on to Arsenal, they had what we’re dubbing a “Bermuda Triangle” in midfield. And that’s because both sides got a bit lost in attack.

As we mentioned earlier, both largely cancelled each other out to the extreme. Declan Rice played much deeper than he usually does, almost inside the centre-backs and picking up the ball.

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But with Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino also playing, they often formed a triangle around Florian Wirtz.

This meant that they always had a spare man back, and while Arsenal cancelled out the Liverpool attack, it meant they were often left with a lack of progressive passing options going forward themselves.

The triangle was moving around in the midfield but with no real direction. Van Dijk ended up making the most completed progressive passes in the game, mainly because he was willing to take risks and pass through the lines.

Arsenal weren’t brave enough to go man to man in midfield, with Merino often seen not asking for the pass even though he was in a position to pick up the ball and turn.

Got the Eze decision wrong

Touching on Arteta’s selection, we expected Eberechi Eze to start the game, but he was ultimately named on the bench.

But on this occasion, Arteta got his selection wrong. To leave out Eze from the start in place of Merino when Martin Odegaard is not fit to start doesn’t make sense at all.

When the £67.5m buy from Crystal Palace did come on for his debut, Arsenal immediately looked more dangerous.

His and Odegaard’s introduction saw more forward passes and box entries in the last 20 minutes than in the first 70.

For all of Liverpool’s flaws this season, they have real difference makers in the team who can conjure up moments of magic.

Arsenal have players of their own who are just as capable, including the likes of Rice, Gyokeres (they hope), Madueke and, of course, Saka when he is fit.

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