There was plenty to pick apart in Liverpool’s draw with Brighton. In the big picture, an away point in this fixture is a reasonable result these days, but Jürgen Klopp will feel it should have been three — with Manchester City’s relentless pace over recent years painting draws like these in an unfavorable light.
For those minded to keep the focus on the officials, there was a question over why Pascal Groß was not sent off after giving away a penalty, with no attempt having been made to play the ball. That takes the double jeopardy rule out of the equation.
Looking closer to home, many will feel this game offered further proof that Liverpool should have signed an elite specialist defensive midfielder in the summer. Of course, Klopp did bring in Wataru Endō, but it was telling that he did not use him here.
Instead, Alexis Mac Allister continued in the role. His start at the club has still been broadly impressive in the circumstances, but there is a feeling he is being shackled — and he gifted his old side the opener when he had the ball pinched off him.
That positional question looks set to be a recurring narrative of the season. But one of the most popular scapegoats over the years was immune from all blame here, as Trent Alexander-Arnold put in an excellent performance against Kaoru Mitoma.
A revelation at Brighton, the form of Mitoma has led to transfer links with Manchester City. Recently, Sports Mole claimed that Pep Guardiola’s side will make an approach in January and the Daily Star has said there was interest from the Etihad side in the past.
It’s become a trite piece of trivia now that Mitoma completed a dissertation on dribbling back in Japan. His prowess running at defenders may well have made some of a Liverpool persuasion a little nervous before kick-off, with Alexander-Arnold’s biggest perceived weakness coming in one-on-one situations.
Any number of pundits could be picked out, but Roy Keane is among those to have criticized Alexander-Arnold in the past. As recently as April, he dug out the Liverpool full-back following the 2-2 draw with Arsenal (via the Mail): “It’s surprising with Trent. It’s like he’s never played the position before.”
Interestingly, that was the game where Alexander-Arnold first moved into a hybrid role, making that switch midway through the game. Perhaps that’s where some of Keane’s confusion came from — but it was far from the first flak the 25-year-old has taken over the years.
However, it was pretty much the last instance of criticism to date. Praise has been far more common; that has mostly focused on his creativity in the adapted role, but his defensive work has perhaps unfairly gone under the radar.
Yes, Liverpool’s new approach reduces the number of times Alexander-Arnold is squared up one-versus-one. Often, the right-sided center-back will be tasked with that role, drifting out to protect the channel. But Alexander-Arnold is not exempt from responsibility.
Mitoma had more than one opportunity to get at him, but Alexander-Arnold had his number. There was a great challenge as the Japan star sought to burst into the box, and then a vital intervention to cut out a pass that would have sent him through.
When Joe Gomez came on for Alexander-Arnold, Brighton’s left flank, if anything, began to look more dangerous. That’s not a particular comment on the merits of the substitution, but it underlines just how well the oft-maligned defender did against a renowned opponent.
After all, Manchester City’s transfer department is rarely wrong. Mitoma is one of the finest exponents of his craft, in an era where Guardiola is increasingly obsessed with quality dribblers. So for Alexander-Arnold to more than hold his own is proof that he continues to evolve and improve — not especially surprising for a player who is still only 25, but a mouthwatering prospect nonetheless.