Trent: How we made Anfield a fortress again
Liverpool extended their unbeaten Premier League streak at Anfield to 30 matches with Wednesday's 4-0 victory over Newcastle United.
“It’s a fortress again,” insisted Trent Alexander-Arnold as he reflected on a win that increased the Reds’ lead at the top to six points at the halfway stage of the season.
The statistics certainly back up the defender’s assertion – Jürgen Klopp’s side have won eight of their nine league games at Anfield this term, conceding only two goals.
And that formidable defensive form is the foundation for the authority with which Liverpool are controlling and overpowering visitors to L4, according to Alexander-Arnold.
“We have shown we’re tough to beat and not only that, we’re tough to score past. Not many teams come here and can score past us,” he told Liverpoolfc.com.
“We have kept a lot of clean sheets, especially at home. It’s something we pride ourselves on as defenders and throughout the whole team; we come off happy when we’ve got a clean sheet.
“That’s the foundation we’ve got to lay, then provide the balls for the attackers to go and do what they do best, scoring us goals.
“As long as everyone does their part – the attackers score the goals and the defenders keep the clean sheets – then you can’t go too wrong. That’s the formula for us at the minute.”
Watch: The best of the action at Anfield
On his return to the starting XI after missing the wins against Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, the No.66 also chipped in with an assist.
It was his perfectly placed cross that teed up Xherdan Shaqiri for Liverpool’s third goal of the afternoon, and Alexander-Arnold was pleased to pay back Klopp’s faith in him.
“Even though I was only out for two games, it was hard, it was something I’ve not been through so far,” said the right-back.
“I was eager to get back as soon as possible. It was good for the manager to be able to put me out there and hopefully I repaid him with the performance and result.”
Dejan Lovren’s unstoppable strike had given the Reds an 11th-minute lead during a tight first half against Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle.
And the hosts stepped up the pressure after the interval, with Mohamed Salah’s penalty, Shaqiri’s tap-in and Fabinho’s header putting the game beyond the Magpies.
“We went in a goal up but it wasn’t enough,” said Alexander-Arnold. “They are always dangerous on the counter-attack so it was important for us to get the next goal.
“Mo showed his speed and his talent, and won the pen – and then was able to put it away, which is good for us. The three points are very important for us.
“It was a big win. The festive period is a tough time for everyone and we came out really well. The first half was quite tough, it was hard to break them down.
“But we showed signs we could score goals and it was just about putting them away in the second half. That’s what we did and we came away with the three points, which is the most important thing.”
Liverpool must now quickly recover for the visit of Arsenal on Saturday.
With the festive fixture schedule now in full flow, Alexander-Arnold explained how the level of quality in Klopp’s squad is pushing the players through this challenging period.
“We’ve got another game in a few days, against a tough opponent. They showed that only a few weeks ago when we played them at the Emirates,” he added.
“The festive period is very tough on the legs and the mind – it’s important to rest, recover and be able to be available for selection again, which is the main thing. That boosts the team.
“If everyone is up for selection it makes training more competitive and makes everyone work harder for the position, and essentially makes us all better players, which is the most important thing. That’s how we’re going to be successful, to push ourselves.”