Chelsea Player Steps In To Defend Liverpool Star Against Criticism

Chelsea's Reece James has revealed his admiration of Trent Alexander-Arnold despite the pair’s fierce battle to occupy the starting right-back role for England.

Alexander-Arnold has received his fair share of backlash in recent weeks regarding his defensive abilities. The Liverpool man let Vinicius Jr. ghost in behind him to open the scoring in the Champions League final, and many thus believe he needs to work on his defensive awareness.

In an interview with The Daily Mail, Reece James claimed these critics “don’t really know the game.” James insists everyone makes “mistakes” including himself. He added that “Liverpool have 95% of the ball” and thus Alexander-Arnold “defends less than I have to.” He insists his counterpart is a “great player.”

And it’s true. Trent Alexander-Arnold is a fantastic player who has been crucial to Liverpool’s success in recent years. The 23-year-old picked up 15 assists across the Premier League and Champions League this season. While his defensive performances can be suspect at times, the pros of his offensive offerings outweigh the cons of his lapses of concentration at the back.

James and Alexander-Arnold have both been playing for an England side which has been struggling in the Nations League. England remain winless from their first three fixtures, having lost to Hungary and drawn with Italy and Germany, with many lamenting Gareth Southgate’s monotonous style of play.

It would appear Alexander-Arnold will finally have some competition for his right-back spot at Liverpool next season. The Anfield club are closing in on the signing of Calvin Ramsay, a young Scottish right-back who plays for Aberdeen. Joe Gomez has filled in when required this season, but he’s far from a natural understudy to Alexander-Arnold.

Reece James has had his say on the Trent Alexander-Arnold debate. It is one which is far from closed. However, his defensive abilities have improved dramatically since breaking into the first team, and his attacking output has always been difficult to ignore. James is right, Alexander-Arnold is a “great player,” and maybe he deserves more appreciation.