The pain of missing out on a place in this season’s Champions League cut deep through the Liverpool squad, reveals Trent Alexander Arnold, who has added motivation to help restore his club to the top of English football.
For the first time since becoming a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s Reds team in 2017, the 24-year-old takes part in a Europa League campaign. Flashbacks to 2015/16 provide some glorious memories – particularly those celebrations following Dejan Lovren’s leap and header to sink Dortmund in front of the Kop – though they don’t come close to those 2019 nights against Barcelona and Spurs in the continent’s premier competition.
Ultimately that is the reward for an underwhelming fifth-placed finish last campaign, but freshened up after taking time away from football, sporting a slick new haircut, Alexander-Arnold is eager to make amends.
“The feeling that I wanted going into the season was, ‘Ready’,” he said”Ready on all fronts. Clean, sharp, ready. No nonsense. That is the mood and mentality I want going into the season.
