The Premier League has just about entered the final stretch of the campaign and Liverpool supporters must be delighted with the manner of their squad's resurgence, perched in pole position after 29 matches.
Jurgen Klopp's side defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday afternoon before Arsenal and Manchester City, the other steeds in this three-horse title race, played out a disappointing 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
For most, this was a deflating contest after a voluble build-up, but Liverpool will have rejoiced after both rivals ceded ground. There is much football left to play. Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta may yet meet in the late phase of the Champions League, whereas Liverpool meet Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals, a by-product of their abject 2022/23 campaign.
Last summer, following such woes, proved to be a critical juncture in Liverpool's quest to remain one of Europe's foremost competitors, but the powerful recruitment to turbo-charge this new chapter has been nothing short of masterful.
Still, the Merseysiders have met plenty of adversity this term, not least because of the catalogue of injuries that somehow have not derailed the pursuit of silverware, with the Carabao Cup already bagged.
There have been many setbacks, but possibly none more worrying than that of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had been playing gorgeous football before spending most of this calendar year sidelined.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's season in numbers
Last year, Alexander-Arnold suffered at the epicentre of Liverpool's decline, regularly criticised for his lacklustre defending and lack of mobility, even branded a "training dummy" by reporter Casey Evans after one notably dismal display against Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. in the Champions League.
A man reborn since the summer, Alexander-Arnold has flourished in a hybrid role that sees him drift into the centre of the park to maximise his creative touch and enables him to control the passing passages that Liverpool are so reliant on in transition, swift and incisively slicing through opposition.
This is evidenced through his metrics: as per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks among the top 16% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, shot-creating actions and attempted passes, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.
It's amazing that Liverpool have performed so well in his absence, with Alexander-Arnold missing 11 games in all competitions during 2024, last featuring against Burnley in February.
1.
Mohamed Salah
23
19
2.
Heung-min Son
26
17
3.
Bruno Fernandes
28
14
4.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
21
13
4.
Kieran Trippier
25
13
4.
Martin Odegaard
26
13
4.
Dwight McNeil
26
13
4.
Bukayo Saka
28
13
The emergence of Conor Bradley has been a big factor behind the club's success, though the Reds vice-captain has chipped in with two goals and ten assists and averages 2.5 key passes and 6.6 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, also succeeding with 60% of his dribbles.
Still, Liverpool's playmaking prodigy has a style not easily replicated, produces numbers near impossible to match, plied principally from technically a defensive position.
As such, the homegrown talent has shot up to a market value of £68m, according to CIES Football Observatory's player valuation model, one of the most valuable members of Klopp's squad.
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