Trent Alexander-Arnold hits back at 'lazy opinion' that he can't defend, feels he receives unfair treatment

Trent Alexander-Arnold has hit back at suggestions he can't defend, branding it a "lazy opinion" and claiming "people watch me with a preconception".

The Liverpool right-back's attacking qualities are undisputed and he's quite rightly been praised for redefining the role of a modern day full-back following his performances over the last few years.

“It’s the lazy thing to say," Alexander-Arnold said.

"People just watch the game and see what they want to see. There’s kind of that prejudice, I believe now. You see what you want to see at the end of the day.

“If you go to watch a game and have a perception that a player is lazy and you see them once not running, then in your mind they’re lazy. You see what you want to see, you don’t see the rest of the game where they’re running around, sprinting around, trying to do their thing.

“I suppose that’s where I feel like I’m judged. People go into games or people watch me play football with a preconception of ‘he’s not a good defender’ or ‘he can’t defend well’, so when I do have that one mistake or that one time someone gets past me, then that confirms what they think.

“At times it feels like it doesn’t matter how well I do, if I’m not perfect in that respect then it’s not good enough. I’m held to standards that potentially other players aren’t held to but that’s life, you’ve got to get on with it."

Going into the tournament, former United skipper Neville had said Gareth Southgate wouldn't trust Alexander-Arnold in a knockout fixture because he "does rash things".

The Three Lions take on Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday.