- Acid test comes for Alexander-Arnold and Robertson in Camp Nou
LONDON: Neither Trent Alexander-Arnold nor Andrew Robertson have Lionel Messi鈥檚 star power, but the buccaneering Liverpool defenders could play just as vital a role as the Barcelona captain in their mouth-watering Champions League semifinal.
Virgil van Dijk has hogged the spotlight among Liverpool鈥檚 defenders with a superb campaign that earned the Dutch centerback the Professional Footballers鈥� Association Player of the Year award.
Ahead of Wednesday鈥檚 first leg against Messi鈥檚 Barca, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold have emerged as essential contributors to Liverpool鈥檚 bid for Champions League glory.
With 24 assists between them in all competitions, England rightback Alexander-Arnold and Scotland leftback Robertson are pivotal figures in Jurgen Klopp鈥檚 game plan.
Robertson鈥檚 11 assists have equalled the Premier League record for a defender and Alexander-Arnold is not far behind, with nine, making Liverpool鈥檚 fullbacks as much wingers as defenders.
It has become the most demanding, tactically significant position in the Liverpool team.
Without Robertson, 25, doing the job of two players with his lung-bursting runs up and down the flanks, Senegal winger Sadio Mane would not have the freedom to move infield, from where he has scored 24 goals this term.
Mohamed Salah鈥檚 license to roam from the wing is only possible because there is less need to track back defensively while Alexander-Arnold, 20, tirelessly covers every blade of grass on the right.
Klopp鈥檚 bold system has reaped rich rewards as rivals struggle to find a way to turn off the supply line fueled by Robertson and Alexander-Arnold.
In producing perfectly weighted crosses for Mane鈥檚 double and a Van Dijk goal, Alexander-Arnold became the youngest Premier League player to create three goals in a single fixture when Liverpool thrashed Watford in February.
Then, when Robertson supplied Roberto Firmino with Liverpool鈥檚 opening goal against Tottenham recently, Alexander-Arnold matched him by crossing for Salah鈥檚 header that led to Toby Alderweireld鈥檚 decisive late own goal.
They are the kind of key contributions that have become commonplace this season and Robertson admits the pair鈥檚 friendly rivalry is spurring them to ever greater heights.
鈥淚 always try and go forward. Sometimes my passes don鈥檛 find people. But I do try and create. If I get two assists, I expect Trent to get three,鈥� Robertson said with a smile.
鈥淲e all need to chip in with goals and assists. It鈥檚 not just the front three. It鈥檚 not just the defense that keeps clean sheets, either. It鈥檚 a team game.鈥�
Liverpool鈥檚 unlikely heroes have taken contrasting routes to the top.
Liverpool-born Alexander-Arnold is the soft-spoken prodigy who still lived with his mum at the start of this season, such has been the rapid nature of his rise from the club鈥檚 academy
Robertson started his career in obscurity at Queen鈥檚 Park and Dundee United before joining Liverpool from Hull for 拢8 million ($10.3 million) in 2017 鈥� a deal that Klopp says came at a time when 鈥渢here weren鈥檛 500 clubs asking about him.鈥�
Now comes the acid test of the duo against Barcelona in the Camp Nou.
Inspired by the sublime Messi, Barca have scored more than 130 goals in all competitions already this term and wrapped up the Spanish title at the weekend.
But, while he acknowledges the threat posed by Messi, Luis Suarez and company, Robertson believes Liverpool should stick to their guns.
鈥淲e know we鈥檒l have our hands full defensively but we all defend as a team and we attack as a team. If me and Trent have time to go forward, we will do it. It鈥檚 not going to stop us,鈥� Robertson said.
鈥淲e know that we can create goals and chances, so why change that? But look, we will learn from the game and move from that and see how it pans out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenge we all look forward to.鈥�