Trent Alexander-Arnold says Liverpool will have to be ‘near PERFECT’ to challenge Man City for the Premier League title next season - and says it’s ‘necessary’ the Reds finish above fifth
- Trent Alexander-Arnold, 24, has opened up on how difficult it is to beat Man City
- The Liverpool star said they will have to be ‘near perfect’ to challenge champions
- The right-back discussed continuing in the hybrid midfield role of last season
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Trent Alexander-Arnold insists Liverpool must be almost flawless to challenge Manchester City next season.
The Reds struggled last campaign, finishing fifth in the Premier League - a distant 22 points behind champions City.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were also knocked out in the fourth rounds of the FA Cup and League Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League.
And Alexander-Arnold told Sky Sports that Liverpool needed to finish higher than fifth in 2023-24.
He said: I think as a club it’s necessary to be honest. You know, we do respect every competition we play in but if you’d asked us this time last year, would you want to finish fifth, we’d have all said no and same again now.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold says Liverpool must be almost perfect to challenge Man City next year
The Reds finished fifth in the Premier League in 2022-23, 22 points behind champions City
The England star also discussed continuing in a hybrid midfield role under boss Jurgen Klopp
‘Would we want to finish fifth next season? No. We want to be winning the league, we want to be challenging and being in title races and in Champions League football so to not be in that next season is disappointing.
‘We know how to win the league, we know how to challenge City and go toe to toe with them and you need to be near perfect throughout the season so for us that’s where our heads are at.’
And Alexander-Arnold said he would be happy to continue playing the hybrid midfield role he did impressively at the end of last season for Klopp.
He added: ‘I only play where I’m told to play so you know all I can say is I enjoy playing football, I enjoy playing right-back, I enjoy playing in the middle of the pitch a lot.
‘It’s somewhere I find joy and I’m enjoying the challenge of the two so you know I would enjoy playing there in the next season but it’s not my decision where I play.’
Klopp has already completed two signings this summer to strengthen his midfield. Brighton’s Argentine playmaker Alexis Mac Allister arrived for £35million in June and will likely slot straight into the midfield three.
While in July, the German welcomed RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai for £60m.
The Hungary international was handed the No 8 shirt synonymous with club icon Steven Gerrard, suggesting he will also form a new-look midfield alongside Mac Allister and, possibly, Alexander-Arnold.
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