Liverpool must start Trent Alexander-Arnold on Wednesday against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final clash, despite the right-back having performed poorly against Manchester United last Sunday, Red expert David Lynch has argued.
Arne Slot's side failed to capitalise on Arsenal's draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday when they drew 2-2 with United, though they are still currently six points clear of the Gunners in the table.
Several Liverpool players underperformed against the Red Devils, though perhaps none more so than Alexander-Arnold, who some accused of not being committed to the club due to Real Madrid's interest in his signature.
Conor Bradley was substituted on in place of the right-back late in the match, but Lynch does not believe Alexander-Arnold's spot in the XI should be in question on Wednesday against Spurs, telling Sports Mole: "The problem Slot has got is that if he does go relatively full strength and Trent isn't in that team, it's not a great look, is it? It [becomes] a commentary on his performance.
"I don't think he can [start Bradley over Alexander-Arnold]. I think he'll look at the Accrington game as a chance to give Conor Bradley minutes as well [and] maybe that nudges him closer to becoming genuine competition at right-back, but with Trent - I think he's going to have to start because he does need to get it out of his system.
"We can't always be focused on the last game. We do that too much in football. Trent's a brilliant player and has been brilliant this season, so I'm sure if he does play - and I expect him to play - that he'll be back to his best, or at least close to it."
A good performance from Alexander-Arnold on Wednesday could help alleviate a lot of the scrutiny he has faced following his side's draw with Manchester United and rubbish claims that he is not committed to the club.
Should Liverpool be confident of beating Tottenham Hotspur?
Liverpool have already faced Spurs away from home this season, beating them 6-3 on December 22 in the league, and there is an argument that the scoreline flattered Ange Postecoglou's side.
Mohamed Salah managed to score twice and pick up two assists without even being at his best, while Dominik Szoboszlai was undoubtedly Slot's best midfield performer.
Lynch was keen to emphasise to Sports Mole just how good an opportunity Liverpool have to reach the final, saying: "[They've] got every chance. I don't think Tottenham's defence is going to be looking any better in terms of personnel. They've got real fitness issues there. I feel a bit for Ange, actually, because I don't think that's been talked about enough as one of the reasons they are so bad at the moment.
"Even if it doesn't end up in a 6-3 hammering, [Liverpool] should still be extremely confident of winning this. Spurs still have all the same issues, you know exactly how they're going to approach it. I think Liverpool should be able to get at them.
"If you can build up a decent first leg lead, it gives you a chance to make, not full rotation for the second leg, but a few changes for that one and mix it up a little bit, particularly with the Anfield factor. It's one that Liverpool should be looking forward to, and especially to get the United game out of the system, so they should have every confidence to get the result there."
Tottenham lost 2-1 against Newcastle United on January 4 in the Premier League, but they were forced to field third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin between the posts, and lined up in the second half with midfielder Archie Gray and right-back Djed Spence in central defence.
© Imago
Should Liverpool take the EFL Cup seriously?
With Liverpool ahead in the title race, there is a line of thinking that they should prioritise the Premier League and field considerably weaker teams in the two legs against Tottenham.
However, Liverpool's next game in the league is against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, and the Reds' match against League Two side Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup on Saturday seems like a better opportunity for rest and rotation.
Lynch expressed his belief to Sports Mole that Slot can afford to field a full-strength XI due to the kind fixture scheduling, saying: "I saw the League Cup as a competition where Liverpool should continue to rotate to make sure that they don't drive the players into the ground, but actually, the way this has fallen now with the FA Cup game at the weekend, I actually think Liverpool should go full strength to keep the rhythm up.
"Those players [that play against Tottenham can] come back in for the Nottingham Forest game the following week, [and] I think that's the way they should go about it - heavily rotate for the FA Cup."
Should Liverpool advance to the final, they will face either Arsenal or Newcastle United, though it looks as if they would face the Toon given their 2-0 win against the Gunners in the first leg on Tuesday night at the Emirates.
Lewis Nolan
