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Trent Alexander-Arnold notched his 11th and 12th assists this season in the Premier League when Liverpool beat West Ham on Monday night. He would have picked up lucky number 13, had Sadio Mané’s fourth goal not been called offside. Afterward, Alexander-Arnold took time in the post-game interview to explain his decision-making skills in the moment.
“I think sometimes when you get the ball and you’re thinking about crossing it then you have to look in and see if anyone’s in the box and see where the runs are going to be made, and then it’s about hitting areas really, saying to the attackers: ‘Go and attack it,’” Alexander-Arnold said when asked whether he crosses to a specific teammate or into dangerous spaces.
“That’s what I tried to do today, I tried to put balls into the box and when you’re getting space out wide and you’ve got a little bit of time it’s always good to get the ball out of your feet and try to cross it, but I’m doing whatever I can to help the team and that’s how we all think.”
Alexander-Arnold is the best crosser of the ball in the league, and perhaps even in world football. His precision, speed, and intelligence make the Reds impossibly more dangerous in the attack. Liverpool sit 22 points above Manchester City on the Premier League table and have won a record-tying 18 consecutive games, and much of their success can be traced back to the incredible efficiency of Alexander-Arnold and his fullback partner Andy Robertson.
They continue their bulldozing over the competition on Saturday when they take on Watford.