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Is Liverpool missing Trent Alexander-Arnold? That seems to be the current theory among many pundits.
After the Reds’ major overhaul during the summer, it was always inevitable that people would start to look at the turnover of players once Arne Slot’s side went through a difficult patch. Unfortunately, that has arrived sooner than any Liverpool fan would have hoped for.
The weekend defeat to Chelsea was the Reds’ third in a row in all competitions - the first time that has happened since Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp last year, and as the likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak struggle to find their feet at Anfield, there are more than a few suggestions that Liverpool would have been better off with some of the players that departed during the summer.
The most prominent name at the moment seems to be that of Alexander-Arnold. Jamie Redknapp was the first to suggest the former Liverpool captain was being missed, with Gary Lineker agreeing, and even claiming that Mohamed Salah was feeling his absence greater than anyone else.
Liverpool fans won’t be all that enthusiastic about Alexander-Arnold’s name being brought back up so soon after his departure, especially given the manner in which he exited for Real Madrid.
And his former teammates are unlikely to be too thrilled to hear him being spoken about amid their current slump in form. Salah might not appreciate Lineker speaking on his behalf, especially when there are other players the Egyptian might miss more, and Virgil van Dijk didn’t sound too pleased when the theory was put to him after the defeat at Stamford Bridge.
What’s more, Slot will no doubt be eager to move on from Alexander-Arnold as soon as possible. Although the Liverpool boss did speak positively about the right-back for the majority of last season, he did take a different approach once it was confirmed it would be his final year at the club.
“When we started pre-season, he was in my office quite a lot as well for similar reasons to what Mo has said previously,” Slot said back in May.
"He is going to leave either way so why not say it? Maybe it is a first gift I can give to Xabi Alonso! I wasn't completely happy with every minute of how he was on the training ground. In certain moments, I felt he could do a bit more, to say it mildly. That is what we talked about.
"I told him, 'you are a much better defender than people tell you, but you don't show it all the time.' I said, 'if you are at it and concentrated, there are not many players who can go around you'. Because he is fast, agile, has a great mentality but it is about showing that every single game."
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That perceived lack of effort in defense has followed Alexander-Arnold for some time now, and it is perhaps why some Liverpool fans might be feeling a little perplexed at pundits now suggesting he could have solved some of the problems the Reds are currently facing.
And that wasn’t the only time Slot showed his frustration with Alexander-Arnold, having also seemingly taken a dig at him following the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace in August.
“We have lost four starters and players that have played a lot for us. Some wanted to leave, like Trent,” Slot said. “As a result of that, we had to bring players in and that is what we did.”
It was noticeable that Slot specifically namechecked Alexander-Arnold before anyone else, despite the fact he wasn’t the only player who wanted to move during the summer, with Luis Diaz having also been angling for an exit for a while.
The Liverpool boss then probably won’t be best pleased to hear his former vice-captain’s name being brought up again, and certainly not in the context of his side’s current problems. The sooner the Reds can move on from Trent, the better.
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