Trent Alexander-Arnold was deployed in an unfamiliar role as left-back in England’s clash with Finland, shining as he scored a free-kick in a 3-1 victory.
Having finally looked to have settled in his natural position at right-back for his country, Alexander-Arnold was required to shift over to left-back on Sunday evening.
It came with interim head coach Lee Carsley short of specialist options on the left flank, though he stressed before kickoff that it would be far from an orthodox role for the Liverpool playmaker.
Instead, Alexander-Arnold often found himself inverting into midfield, which allowed him to dictate play as he drifted inside onto his right foot.
His right foot made the difference midway through the second half when, after Jude Bellingham was brought down outside the box, he stepped up to bend a perfect free-kick into the top corner.
It was Alexander-Arnold’s fourth goal for England and it capped an outstanding display on a night that also saw Jack Grealish and Declan Rice score.
No player had more touches of the ball than Alexander-Arnold (130), according to FotMob, with the 26-year-old also completing the third-most passes (95 of 110) and the second-most long passes (six of 10).
Unsurprisingly, he was named Man of the Match – which is becoming a common occurrence when he puts on an England shirt, despite his reputation.
“I think Trent’s quality speaks for itself,” Carsley told ITV after the game.
“I don’t see it as I found a place for him, he’s more than earned his place.
“We do get bogged down with left-back, right-back, where’s his position, but as long as he’s in effective positions he’s great to have.
“It’s important that we’ve got players with that quality and play to their strengths, and we definitely do that with Trent.”
Alexander-Arnold is unlikely to continue to do so under Carsley at least, with the former Everton midfielder seemingly ruling himself out of the running for the permanent job.
“I think people are always going to try to put their chips on one side,” he said when asked about reports he did not want the position.
“I’m totally in the middle. My bosses have made it totally clear what they need from me.
“This job deserves a world-class coach that’s won trophies and been there and done it. I’m still on the path to doing that.”
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