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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Josh O'Brien

Ian Wright and Paul Merson in agreement over "mind-blowing" Trent Alexander-Arnold

Both Ian Wright and Paul Merson lavished Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander Arnold in praise after the defender's stunning display against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

Jurgen Klopp's side made the trip to north London for the second-leg of their semi-final clash with the tie finely balanced following last week's 0-0 draw at Anfield.

Liverpool weathered an early storm before taking full control of a game that saw Diogo Jota bag a brace in which both of his goals were laid on for him by Alexander-Arnold during the 2-0 win.

The two Arsenal legends echoed each other's sentiments when it came to analysing the performance of Liverpool's full-back after the game.

Wright watched the game from the Emirates terraces with the other 60,000 Arsenal fans and took to twitter during the game to highlight both Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool's goal-scorer Jota.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Trent Alexander-Arnold the best right-back in world football? Comment below

Trent Alexander-Arnold registered two assists for Liverpool against Arsenal ((Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))

"Jota and Trent have been a different level. Killing us with football," wrote the Gunners legend.

The opening stages of the contest suggested Alexander-Arnold may have been in for one of his more difficult nights after Gabriel Martinelli got the better of him during a couple of Arsenal attacks.

However, Alexander-Arnold's ability to influence a game from right-back is frankly quite remarkable and the Gunners failed to nullify the threat he posed.

His cross-field pass for Jota's second left the Arsenal defence helpless as the Portugal international took it in his stride to eventually delicately loft over the onrushing Aaron Ramsdale.

Jota's brace marked Alexander-Arnold's 14th and 15th assists of the season and Merson wasted little time in pointing out the full-back's 'mind-blowing' attacking ability for someone whose first role is to defend.

"He’s phenomenal," the ex-Arsenal star told Sky Sports after the game.

"People say, ‘he can’t defend’. Why do you have to defend when you go forward like he does?

"To put up the figures and the assists that he gets is just mind-blowing, absolutely mind-blowing.

"Some of the balls that he plays, the weight of pass - everything he picks out he composes himself, never panics. That ball was David Beckham.

Paul Merson likened Trent Alexander-Arnold with David Beckham after his League Cup heroics (Sky Sports)

"If you’d have just had a look at his feet there and nothing else, you’d of thought it was David Beckham."

Merson went on to address the remarkable fact that Alexander-Arnold is not viewed as England's first-choice in his position by national team boss Gareth Southgate.

"Can’t talk highly enough of the lad," said Merson. "He’s not even our England right-back. We’re blessed."

Alexander-Arnold's double act with Jota on the night inspired Liverpool into the final of the Carabao Cup.

Klopp will meet Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea at Wembley at the tail-end of next month in what will be the first domestic British cup final contested by two German managers.

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