da pinnacle： A taint on Liverpool’s season has become turmoil. One loss became two became three. Now, Arne Slot’s champions are in dire straits, having lost five of their past six games in the Premier League.
da doce： This is a crisis, of course, with the Reds such a far cry from last season’s quality that not even an echo of that thrilling form can be found in this current crop. But then the season is still young, and there is a good chance that Slot, hailed as a “genius” and a “football scientist” by journalist Marcel van der Kraan last year, will find a solution.
But that solution needs to come quickly, with the expensive new signings all flattering to deceive, bar Hugo Ekitike and perhaps goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, solid if unspectacular in recent weeks as Alisson recovers from injury.
There was always going to be a period of integration, but this has gone beyond that. And, sadly, it feels like the Anfield side are missing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Why Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold
Not for a long time have Liverpool seen a star depart in such bitter circumstances. Alexander-Arnold was the hometown poster boy, instrumental in so much success under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.
But the whispers of his departure had started long before he left for Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, his contract about to expire and Real Madrid paying an £8m premium to free him early and add him to the Club World Cup squad over the pond.
Booed by segments at Anfield after the confirmation of his switch to Spain, Alexander-Arnold is no longer considered Merseyside’s Gerrard-esque superstar, even if he leaves a glittering legacy at his boyhood club.
But away from the emotion, Liverpool have missed their one-of-a-kind defender’s creativity. Jamie Carragher once said Trent’s range of passing was like “having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back”, with vision and accuracy on the ball that most could only dream of.
Indeed, no defender in the Premier League has racked up more assists than the 26-year-old, and with him having played fewer matches than all just below him.
1
Trent Alexander-Arnold
64
2
Andy Robertson
60
3
Leighton Baines
53
4
Graeme Le Saux
44
5
Kieran Trippier
38
As the English top flight undergoes something of a cultural and tactical shift, with long throws and low blocks and direct play all the rage once more, Slot’s Liverpool have toiled away and fallen by the wayside.
Trent’s passing would be quite the tonic right now. As per FBref, the Three Lions man ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists made per 90.
But there’s no use crying over spilt milk – or sold starboys, for that matter. Slot needs to find a solution, and he might just have one in another city-born talent.
Liverpool's new version of Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool have signed a new creative superstar in Florian Wirtz. The German hasn’t clicked yet, but his generational quality suggests there is a propitious future awaiting the attacking midfielder.
However, Wirtz isn’t the player in question here. Instead, Curtis Jones is quietly producing progressive playmaking performances under Slot’s management and must now be utilised in a more important role to help turn the tide that has swept the club’s title ambitions away over the past few months.
Jones is Liverpool’s leading academy graduate now that Alexander-Arnold has up and left. The versatile centre-midfielder has racked up 193 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 19 goals and providing 23 assists.
He never quite nailed down a role of significance in Klopp’s team, and while he played his part for Slot last year, Jones has been somewhat on the backbench since the summer, certainly in the Premier League.
In any case, Jones spoke at the start of the Dutch coach’s tenure of his admiration and excitement, feeling his ball-playing skill lends itself to success in Slot’s system.
With Liverpool struggling for control and focused creativity, might Jones be the answer? From limited match action this term, he has proven himself an interesting solution and must be handed a string of starts, especially with Alexis Mac Allister having drifted so far from his usual level.
There’s no question that Jones has become more progressive with his passing since Slot replaced Klopp. In fact, DataMB revealed earlier this week that the England international’s 17.82 progressive passes per game this season trumps every other Premier League midfielder, and that having recorded the highest pass completion rate (91.01%) besides.
He’s only started two league matches this season, featuring nine times in total, but the 24-year-old has also won 65% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
It’s no wonder that one Premier League analyst hailed him as “one of the most underrated players in England”, not necessarily the flashiest, but an industrious and dynamic player who is now adding layers.
This has always been Jones’ skillset, but now, he is starting to evolve into a forward-thinking player, shaking off that ‘conservative’ tag. Sideways passes and a play-it-safe attitude have been, unfairly, regular criticisms of his game.
Liverpool need to see positive change over the coming weeks. Eighth in the Premier League and struggling for any semblance of fluency and confidence, Jones could provide a shrewd answer, combining with those around him, shoring up the defence and rethreading the attacking patterns that have frayed and split this year.
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