England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold addresses critics of his defending ahead of the World Cup

Trent Alexander-Arnold has addressed critics of his defending, claiming that people prefer to focus on his mistakes rather than giving him credit when he is performing well.

Liverpool have endured a difficult start to the season, and find themselves 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.

Their defence has come under particular scrutiny, with Alexander-Arnold’s defensive work at full-back being questioned. However, the 24-year-old has still made England’s World Cup squad, and he has hit back at those that doubt his capabilities at the back.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been criticised for his defending for Liverpool this season

He is aware of the criticism, but has suggested his issues at the back have been blown out of proportion

When asked about his defending this season, Alexander-Arnold told ITV:  ‘I would say there’s been a lot of spotlight on it. I’d say there’s been a massive magnifying glass on that aspect of my game. 

‘I would say, for me, like any part of my game, there’s improvements to be made. There’s decisions that I could have made better. There’s instances where I could have defended a lot better, but at the same time, there’s been instances where I’ve defended really well. 

‘And that’s the way the game is. I think a lot of people like to shout about the mistakes and the ones that I could have done better on, rather than the ones that I defended well on.’

Alexander-Arnold has only picked up 17 caps for England since making his debut in 2018.

He acted as Kieran Trippier’s understudy in Russia four years ago, and could find himself carrying out the same role this time around in Qatar given the Newcastle man’s fine form this term.

Gary Neville claimed Gareth Southgate could not trust Alexander-Arnold after his performance against Tottenham earlier this month

Gary Neville recently claimed that Gareth Southgate will not be able to trust Alexander-Arnold in a World Cup knockout match due to his lapses in concentration at the back.

Whether this will be the case remains to be seen, with fellow right-back Kyle Walker also nearing full fitness after undergoing groin surgery last month.

This could leave the Liverpool defender as third-choice right-back later on in the tournament, if Southgate prefers to put his faith in Trippier and Walker rather than the more attack-minded Alexander-Arnold.