Arne Slot has advised Trent Alexander-Arnold that his capacity to maintain '100%' concentration is crucial for his development as a defender. The Liverpool vice-captain expressed a desire to become 'the defender that no one wants to face in Europe' during discussions with the club's new head coach prior to the season. Following Liverpool's 3-0 win over Bournemouth, where he contributed to his 100th goal for the club, the 25-year-old acknowledged that criticism of his defensive skills was 'harsh' but emphasized his commitment to improvement. Slot believes he has pinpointed the area for enhancement.
'It's challenging for me to assess how it has been in previous years, but I know we're discussing a player who has won the Champions League and the league title, so it's evident he has been a good defender throughout his career,' Slot said. 'However, because he is so exceptional with the ball, the focus is often on his ball-handling skills. I think for him, it's not about whether he can perform, but whether his concentration can consistently remain at 100% focus? This is what we frequently discuss, ensuring he stays active in every game situation, even when the ball is far from him. But it's not that we or I taught him to defend in the past three months; he's won the league and the Champions League. It's about helping him understand all the elements necessary to play at his best.'
Liverpool, who host West Ham in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, have managed four clean sheets in five Premier League matches. While encouraged by the defensive record, Slot believes it's too early to draw conclusions given the favorable fixture list. 'The defense has been really good, though in the last game, we needed our goalkeeper too many times to maintain the clean sheet,' he said. 'Yesterday, I reviewed the league table and considered: 'OK, which teams have we faced so far and where are they positioned? Are they in the top half or the bottom?' I think all of them are in the bottom half of the table, so you have to consider that. There are many tough teams we still have to face. After West Ham tomorrow, we have two challenging away games [against Wolves and Crystal Palace] – let's see where we stand then regarding conceding goals because the fixture schedule might have been 'kind' to us when you look at the table. And from the five games, we have played three times at home, which also helps.'
Caoimhín Kelleher will again stand in for the injured Alisson, who might return from a muscle issue at Wolves on Saturday. Trey Nyoni, the promising 17-year-old midfielder, could make an appearance in the cup tie.
