Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold each continued their triumphant returns to top form as the England international smashed home a sensational free-kick in a 3-0 hammering of Leicester
The homegrown heroes proved a force to be reckoned with as Liverpool romped to a 3-0 win at Leicester on Monday, but there was no debate as to whom stole the headlines.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s phenomenal free-kick in the 71st minute put the result beyond any doubt at the King Power Stadium – not that there was much to begin with. a controversial first-half double from Curtis Jones put the Reds well on their way to a seventh straight Premier League win, and ‘TAA’ provided the icing from 25 yards.
A first goal in all competitions since October 2022 is the strongest sign yet that Alexander-Arnold is back to his form of old. The right-back has endured plenty of tough times amid dips in form during the past two seasons, but fans couldn’t get enough of his finish off a short lay-off from Mohamed Salah.
The words ‘unreal’, ‘stunning’ and ‘unbelievable’ were a frequent feature as the clip went viral on Twitter. Others were less sophisticated in their one-word summaries as one account hailed the hit a ‘THUNDERB*****D!”
“Just a fantastic football player,” gushed one supporter on Twitter. “Been dictating games from deep since playing his inverted role.”
Jurgen Klopp has courted plenty of praise for encouraging the player to take up a more central position in attacking transitions of late, and it’s worked without a hitch. However, his free-kick nous has been known as a part of his game since his senior emergence.
Salah’s tee-up meant the Egyptian also grabbed a hat-trick of assists at the King Power, having set Jones up for each of his first-half strikes. There were doubts as to whether the second of those should have counted due to an offside call, but there could be no arguing Alexander-Arnold’s hellish effort.
STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WATCH THIS STRIKE FROM TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gEFjyatEfI
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 15, 2023
The 24-year-old now has six assists and one goal in his last eight appearances, with his surge back to form all too coincidentally syncing up with Liverpool’s winning streak. Klopp’s side are now just one point behind Manchester United in fourth, though the Red Devils boast a crucial game in hand.
Nonetheless, the Reds will use their relentless end to the current campaign as fuel to fire their start next season, and their right-back clearly remains a key piece in the jigsaw. As if his supplemental skills hadn’t proved themselves in recent weeks, Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick credentials are making a timely return to form of their own.
SOURCE: dailystar.co.uk
