BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy has showered praise on Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold for his performance against Newcastle United on Saturday.
The England international played an integral part as Jurgen Klopp’s side claimed a vital 3-2 victory at St James’ Park that kept the Premier League title race alive for another week.
Murphy was very impressed: “He didn’t play in mid-week, which was surprising for a lot of Liverpool supporters,” he said on Match of the Day [04/05; 14:52]. “But what he does when he plays is he gives tremendous quality crossing the ball and passing the ball.
“Super ball in for Virgil van Dijk, and at that point you think they’re going to go on and win the game easily. He’s a wonderful player. That [handball] didn’t take away from his first half performance, I thought it was sensational.”
OPINION
Yes, Alexander-Arnold was arguably Liverpool’s best player as they rallied to secure a vital victory against Rafael Benitez’s side. Much has been made about Klopp’s decision to drop the 20-year-old for Joe Gomez in the Reds’ 3-0 defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday night, and perhaps Alexander-Arnold came out against Newcastle with a point to prove. That’s certainly the way it looked as he produced a display right out of the top drawer at St James’ Park. When he’s on song like this there isn’t a better right back in the Premier League, and perhaps in Europe, too. It’s a credit to him that he responded so well to being dropped, because not everyone would. He came back like a man possessed, though, and the Magpies couldn’t live with him. Yes, the handball was a bit of a hairy incident. However, most people would have done the same in his shoes to try and deny the opposition a goal. Overall, one incident couldn’t detract from a superb individual display on Saturday.
