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Jurgen Klopp praised Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contribution as “extremely influential” following his equalizing goal for Liverpool against Manchester City.
The English player scored a great goal to tie the game at 1-1 between the Reds and the champions in a closely contested match at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Erling Haaland scored City’s first goal of the match, marking his 50th Premier League goal in just 48 appearances, breaking a new record. However, Alexander-Arnold, who had faced challenges against the quick Jeremy Doku, altered the outcome with a goal 10 minutes before the end of the game.
After moving into the midfield, the 25-year-old player controlled the ball and shot it into the lower corner from beyond the field, equalizing against City. This allowed Arsenal to claim the top position, thanks to their win against Brentford.
The recent performance of Alexander-Arnold served as a powerful reminder of his skills, especially following a period of discussion on how to best utilize him under the management of Gareth Southgate for the England team.
Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, described Trent’s performance as highly influential. He was not only crucial in creating the goal, but also in all aspects of the game. Trent played exceptionally well.
“We adjusted the positioning to clarify where he should be during these moments.”
“He performed exceptionally and continued to impress in his one-on-one battles with Doku.”
“It was evident on multiple occasions how challenging it was to defend against him, as he is highly skilled in dribbling. Trent played a significant and positive role.”
Alexander-Arnold’s leveller not only took the gloss off Haaland’s achievement – the previous quickest player to a half-century was Andy Cole in 65 games – but also denied City a share of another record.
Pep Guardiola’s side had won their previous 23 home games in all competitions, stretching back to a draw against Everton last December, and another would have equalled Sunderland’s record for an English top-flight side set between 1890 and 1892.
The City team was the strongest, with 16 shots on goal compared to Liverpool’s eight. They were upset when a Ruben Dias goal was disallowed due to a foul on goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who had a bad day.
Alisson was responsible for City’s first goal, committed multiple errors throughout the game, and suffered a hamstring injury towards the end.
Nathan Ake, a defender for the city team, expressed his desire for a better outcome. He noted that the team felt confident and stable, but were not able to generate many opportunities. However, he believed that they had better control of the game compared to their previous match against Chelsea, which was more unpredictable.
We attempted to generate opportunities on the field. Right before their score, we were able to create a strong chance.
It is acknowledged that the team possesses the ability to score a goal unexpectedly, but it is disappointing that a single long-range shot can result in a tied game.
Source: independent.co.uk
