Don’t bet against Gareth Southgate’s much-maligned right-back having a significant World Cup influence after being selected for the team. That settles the argument, then. Trent came. It says a lot about the Liverpool player’s inconsistent play this season, Gareth Southgate‘s natural tendency toward caution, and, on a larger scale, what is expected and demanded of full-backs in the modern game, that Trent Alexander-inclusion Arnold’s in the England World Cup squad was ever even in doubt.
After the most recent international break, when he was one of just seven outfield players in a 28-man team to not play a single minute in Nations League matches against Italy and Germany, the 24-year-old had all but accepted that reality. When the World Cup party was announced on Thursday, the other six players—Tammy Abraham, Ivan Toney, James Ward-Prowse, Fikayo Tomori, Jarrod Bowen, and Marc Guehi—did not attend. However, because of James’ misfortune, Alexander-Arnold will be traveling to Qatar.
Given that the Reds star was forced to retire from Euro 2020 on the final day of the competition due to injury, you could say it was good karma. This time, he will be aiming to take advantage of some good fortune and show everyone that he truly is among the finest in the industry. His second World Cup will be in Qatar. He traveled to Russia in 2018 when he was 19 years old, but if it was anticipated that he would secure a spot for his nation after that, things have most definitely not gone according to plan.
Only six of his 17 caps to date have seen him play the full 90 minutes. He only made one start for Qatar during the qualification round against Andorra, San Marino, and Albania. The debate around his function is an interesting one since it touches on a possible cultural divide in English football as well as how players are perceived and valued. In Alexander-situation, Arnold’s perhaps undervalued.
He is regarded by many as a genius who can provide the kind of inventiveness that most No. 10s can only dream of. He is a playmaker who plays the right-back position. He throws in crosses that forwards can’t help but finish off, hits passes that leave people in awe, and has been among the best and most reliable players on a team that has been among the best in Europe for the past five years. One right-to-left diagonal against Tottenham last weekend drew audible gasps from the home crowd.
For more World Cup news and updates, keep your eye on this space.
