Liverpool News: Thierry Henry, a former player for Arsenal and a legend in his own right, has come out in defense of Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold after the latter assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Vinicius Junior for Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday.
The Los Blancos winger slipped in behind the right-back to connect with Federico Valverde’s driven cross and score from close range. This led to the right-back being caught out of position at the back.
It was enough to assist the Spanish champions in defeating the Reds and securing the European championship for their club.
Alexander-Arnold was given more than his share of criticism at that particular moment. Although he had given the Brazilian a run for his money for a significant portion of their competition throughout the final.
Latest Liverpool News: What did Henry say?
Henry, on the other hand, has come to his defender because he believes that the cross wasn’t a simple one to defend against. He said the following to CBS Sports on Paramount+, as reported by HITC:
“He puts himself in a precarious situation to protect against that cross. But the overlap from Carvajal and Valverde makes it tough for him. When they transfer the ball across the box, it makes it extremely difficult for Trent Alexander-Arnold to defend it.”
Assuming that Alexander-Arnold was considering Karim Benzema, the 44-year-old continued by saying:
“I really doubt that he even bothers to check at the beginning to see whether Vinicius is there. He is aware that Benzema is not directly in front of him. Because he can see that Benzema has stopped, he will also halt with his line. However, there is a guy behind you. I believe that Trent Alexander-Arnold will have a very difficult time defending himself in that play. Keep in mind that Liverpool gave up possession of the ball. He moved across the field a little bit more, thinking about Benzema a little bit too much. But he never worried about his winger.”
Liverpool had a really promising season. But they were only able to come away with the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup after losing in the final of the Champions League. This was a cruel ending to what had been a wonderfully promising campaign for Liverpool.
Even now, Liverpool’s season may be considered a triumph
Even if the conclusion wasn’t particularly spectacular, Liverpool has a lot to be pleased about after what they’ve accomplished this season.
They competed in every game that was available on all fronts. They finished the season by winning the domestic double.
The Reds also gave Real Madrid a good battle in the final of the Champions League and pushed Manchester City to the last day of the Premier League season. They ended only one point behind Manchester City in the standings.
On their path to the finals, Real Madrid defeated the eventual winners of Ligue 1, the current holders of the European title, and the winners of the English title. Losing to a team like that is not a shameful accomplishment in any way, shape, or form.
