Paul Merson: 'Trent is the best passer of the ball in England'

Paul Merson has admitted his admiration for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s passing ability in his pre-match predictions for Sportskeeda.

The No.66 appears to have rediscovered his best form in the famous red shirt, registering three assists from his last two games for Liverpool.

“Trent Alexander-Arnold is the best passer of the ball in England,” the ex-England international wrote for the publication.

“He can spray the ball all over the pitch, and he can put it on a six-pence. He doesn’t play safe passes and will rip it up against lesser teams, but I don’t know if it’ll work against the big guns.

“His passing is second to none at Liverpool and I like what he’s trying – it’s very expansive.”

The fullback’s free licence to roam into the midfield from within his own half paid dividends against the pundit’s beloved Arsenal and upward momentum persisted into the trip to Elland Road as the Reds put Javi Gracia’s men to the sword.

We can’t quite wrap our heads around the suggestion that getting the right-back on the ball more often and increasingly involved with build-up might not work against the better sides in the country.

The opposite certainly seemed true against Mikel Arteta’s title-chasers and, as we’ve often seen with Manchester City’s De Bruyne, a sound passer in the middle of the park can only spell good things for a side with ambitions of securing regular silverware.

Perhaps the Englishman is nodding to our defensive struggles of late, with sides exploiting declining legs in midfield – though we’d expect this concern to be well and truly addressed come the summer.