Sunday’s match turned out to be an unexpected spectacle, with Liverpool securing their seventh home Premier League win of the season in a game marked by rapid turnarounds at Anfield. The intensity reached its peak, and the quality of Liverpool’s goals had Anfield buzzing with excitement as they initially relinquished the lead before staging a comeback to defeat Fulham 4-3.
The debate surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold’s position remains a topic of discussion, with Jurgen Klopp seemingly torn between the belief that such a passing range could be underutilized at full-back and the memories of the damage Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson caused while playing as wing-backs in Liverpool’s 2019-20 title-winning campaign. The compromise of assigning Alexander-Arnold a hybrid role has sparked further debates, with some pointing to defensive vulnerabilities when he drifts inside.
Regardless of the ongoing debate, one undeniable fact is that Klopp must continue getting the 25-year-old into positions where he can influence games. Alexander-Arnold’s ability to create chances is well-established, but his match-winning contribution in this Anfield thriller has added a new dimension to the discussion about his position: he can also score crucial goals.
In a historic moment for his Liverpool career, Alexander-Arnold believed he had scored in successive league matches after 20 minutes with a direct free-kick that, on first viewing, seemed a work of art as it hit the underside of the crossbar and went in. The only blemish on the masterpiece was a slight deflection off Bernd Leno, somewhat diminishing its value.
Less than four minutes later, another Liverpool academy graduate, Harry Wilson, found the net in front of the Kop, albeit in Fulham colors. Despite it being a proud day for his family, the lack of celebration likely tempered the joy.
