Trent Alexander-Arnold shines in unfamiliar role, but shines a light on huge England problem | OneFootball

Trent Alexander-Arnold played a starring role in England’s 3-1 win over Finland in the Uefa Nations League on Sunday.

The Three Lions were in desperate need of a victory after falling to a shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley in midweek, which has left their hopes of promotion back to League A in doubt.

England quickly took control in Helsinki and found the lead after just 18 minutes, with Lille midfielder Angel Gomes beautifully playing in Jack Grealish for a one-on-one finish after receiving the ball between the lines from a fizzing Alexander-Arnold pass.

Alexander-Arnold continued to exude control over the game in possession, but it took until the 74th minute for his best moment to come as he curled a beautiful free-kick over the wall and beyond Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

Both sides would go on to score again, with Declan Rice making it 3-0 for England before Arttu Hoskonen scored a consolation for the hosts. But it was Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick that effectively settled the tie, while also netting the Liverpool man a cool £500 from teammate Grealish.

“I joked to Trent before the free-kick ‘score this I will give you 500 quid’ and he slapped it in top bins,” the Man City forward admitted after the match.

By the end of the match, Alexander-Arnold had completed 95 passes and 10 passes into the final third, while making two tackles, four recoveries and two clearances in a performance that drew high praise from interim boss Lee Carsley.

“Trent’s quality speaks for itself,” the former Everton midfielder said. “It’s not that I have found a place for him — he has more than earned his place.”

Alexander-Arnold excels at left-back, but shines a light on pressing England problem

Alexander-Arnold’s excellent showing against Finland was made all the more impressive given he was playing in an unfamiliar left-back role, rather than taking his usual berth on the right.

Kyle Walker started on the right to allow Alexander-Arnold’s shift but given he’s now 34 years old, England fans will hope this doesn’t become a regular occurrence.

However, the need for Alexander-Arnold to play on the left, following on from the right-footed Rico Lewis playing there against Greece and Kieran Trippier taking that role at Euro 2024, highlights how big of a problem position that has become for England.

Luke Shaw is the obvious starter there when fit, but that ‘when’ has become increasingly rare in recent years. The same also goes for Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell, whose chances are diminishing now that he’s fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell has also been tried at international level but doesn’t seem to have convinced the England decision-makers.

Levi Colwill and Jarrad Branthwaite are both naturally left-footed and have played as full-backs for Chelsea and Everton, respectively, when required. However, they are far better as centre-backs and would only provide defensive options out wide for England.

So, are there any emerging talents at left-back for England to pin their hopes on?

Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall seems like the most promising option right now, playing 31 times for the Magpies across all competitions since joining from Chelsea in the summer of 2023. The 20-year-old has played seven times in the Premier League this campaign, sitting only behind Anthony Gordon (15) and Joelinton (7) at St. James’ Park for chances created (6), while sitting third and fourth, respectively, for interceptions (5) and possessions won in the middle third (10).

The only other under-23 option making serious waves right now is Archie Brown, who has been catching the eye at Belgian side KAA Gent, as well as with the England U21s.

A slightly older option worth considering is Ipswich Town’s Leif Davis, who provided a phenomenal 21 assists in the Championship last season to help Ipswich Town earn promotion. Davies has one assist in the Premier League already this season, while he’s ninth in the top flight for chances created (17) and first among defenders.

That said, you’d expect Davis will need to prove he can cut it at Premier League level a little while longer to be considered for the Three Lions.

With all that in mind, Alexander-Arnold might well be preparing himself for an extended run at left-back until one of England’s youngsters finally emerges from the pack.

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