Trent Alexander-Arnold insists he has remained positive despite recent criticism of him and his Liverpool team-mates.
The Reds full-back scored a stunning free-kick in the 2-0 Champions League win at home to Rangers on Tuesday evening with a second-half Mohamed Salah penalty sealing the victory. Jurgen Klopp moved away from his usual 4-3-3 formation, deploying an exciting quartet of Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez and dropping Fabinho.
And Klopp's side dominated from start to finish, reducing Rangers to 36% possession and just a handful of attempts on goal. Liverpool themselves could have had more than just the two they scored, with veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor producing a string of outstanding saves, mostly to deny Nunez.
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And speaking after the final whistle, Alexander-Arnold acknowledged the importance of bouncing back from Saturday's disappointing 3-3 draw against Brighton with a good performance, citing the switch in formation as key to the evening's success.
“Massively [important], the performance was great from the lads,” Alexander-Arnold told BT Sport . “On Saturday, we never really got going, the press wasn’t there, slow out the blocks, complete opposite today. We started it well and continued it throughout the game, they had their spells in the second half but overall, we played outstanding.
“I don’t normally score them from that side, I normally score them from the other. For me, it was about getting it on target, that’s what I’ve been practising on, hit the target, there’s always a chance of it going in, rebounds, stuff like that so make sure I’m hitting the target.
“We went back to a basic 4-4-2 and played it really well. We shifted it across the pitch well, compact, they couldn’t play it through us, they went long and we were picking up second balls so the change of tactics definitely helped us, we’ll see what happens going forward.”
The 23-year-old has - unfairly, in some instances - been on the harsh end of criticism for his role in Liverpool's poor start to the season, and Gareth Southgate's decision to drop him for England's game against Germany once again put the young full-back under the spotlight.
But Alexander-Arnold insists he has remained positive throughout, adding that he relishes the challenge of the upcoming schedule that sees Liverpool face Arsenal, Manchester City and Rangers again in the next fortnight.
“No matter what I always try to think positively,” Alexander-Arnold added. “People say things but for me, it’s about going out there and performing for the team. The only thing that matters is coming here getting the wins, helping the team. It’s been a slow start to the season for me but I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
“It’s going to be very busy. It’s what we’re used to, we’re used to playing three games a week. There’s no excuses, it’s exciting, when it’s coming thick and fast it’s exciting for us.”
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