Jurgen Klopp admitted that one Liverpool player who ‘set the tempo’ during the first half against Atalanta on Thursday night ultimately ran ‘out of gas’.

The Reds bowed out of the Europa League after failing to overcome the 3-0 deficit from last week’s clash at Anfield, but it wasn’t for the want of trying from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was making his first start since 10 February after two months out through injury.

Speaking after last night’s match, the manager conceded that his team were unable to keep up the pace they’d shown prior to half-time, with the vice-captain’s influence waning as the minutes ticked by.

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Klopp said (via liverpoolfc.com): “The biggest problem for us in the second half was that we couldn’t keep that tempo. For us, you saw tonight in Trent Alexander-Arnold which player we didn’t have for a while now.

“As long as he was fresh, together with Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] he set the tempo, the rhythm, the direction of the game. Obviously he was running a bit out of gas [after half-time].”

READ MORE: One moment from £120k-p/w Liverpool player had Steve McManaman’s blood boiling last night

READ MORE: ‘If you look…’ – Ex-Liverpool duo were left raging over first-half moment v Atalanta

Trent’s 72-minute appearance last night was his longest involvement in a match since he played the entirety of the FA Cup win over Arsenal on 7 January (Transfermarkt), and with Liverpool going all-out in the first half as they tried to reel in Atalanta, it was understandable that the 25-year-old ultimately faded.

He was one of the main instigators of the revival that the Reds threatened in the early stages, winning the penalty that Mo Salah converted and bypassing the Nerazzurri press with some pinpoint long-range passing.

As per Sofascore, the vice-captain took 90 touches at the Gewiss Stadium, executing one key pass and finding a teammate with seven long balls. In the words of Paul Gorst, he provided ‘what Liverpool have missed’ recently with his wizardry on the ball.

It was a shame that Trent couldn’t keep up that early tempo beyond half-time as he naturally tired in only his second game back from his two-month injury layoff, and unfortunately the rest of his teammates also seemed to wilt after they re-emerged from the dressing room at the interval.

We now face into a frantic week containing three crucial Premier League fixtures in seven days, but the 25-year-old’s influence should grow even further with each passing appearance as he seeks to deliver a winning send-off for Klopp at Anfield over the next month.

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Paul Gorst was wowed by an ‘unbelievable’ moment from one Liverpool player during the first half of their Europa League clash against Atalanta tonight.

The Reds have shown a drastic improvement from recent games and pulled back one of the three-goal deficit from last week’s first leg with an early Mo Salah penalty.

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The match in Bergamo sees Trent Alexander-Arnold making his first start in over two months, and the vice-captain has looked like he’s never been away, as illustrated by one chance to set up a chance for the visitors.

Half an hour into the game, Gorst tweeted: “Unbelievable ball from Alexander-Arnold to get Gakpo away but Salah can’t find Diaz with a threaded ball. That’s what Liverpool have missed while their vice captain has been sidelined though, defence to attack in one pass.”

Unbelievable ball from Alexander-Arnold to get Gakpo away but Salah can't find Diaz with a threaded ball. That's what Liverpool have missed while their vice captain has been sidelined though, defence to attack in one pass. https://t.co/zQYkFTXsN1

— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) April 18, 2024

READ MORE: (Video) Salah tucks away chance to give Liverpool perfect start from the penalty spot

READ MORE: (Video) Alisson well and truly back as he pulls off incredible save; didn’t know it’d be offside

The difference that Trent makes to this Liverpool team has been evident in the first half at the Gewiss Stadium.

As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old completed six accurate long passes before the interval and took a team-high 60 touches, getting involved at every opportunity and regularly unlocking the Atalanta defence.

That ability to create attacks from seemingly nowhere is just what the Reds have been lacking in recent games, and as Gorst says, the vice-captain has quickly provided a string which has been missing from our bow in his absence.

After Liverpool’s slump in the first two weeks of April, Trent’s return from injury could hardly have been more timely.  He looks set to have a massive impact on the team in the final month of the season.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return to the Liverpool team was felt immediately after he first sprayed a long ball to Luis Diaz and then his cross led to a Matteo Ruggeri handball inside the box.

It was no surprise to see Mo Salah step up and take the responsibility and it was equally as inevitable the ball ended up inside the back of the net.

READ MORE: (Image) The ‘ramshackle s****y stand’ Liverpool fans are coping with in Italy

It was a beginning to the game that Jurgen Klopp could only dream of and the celebration of picking up the ball and running back to the halfway line showed the mindset of the whole team.

You can watch Salah’s goal via @footballontnt on X:

Ice in those veins!

Mo Salah gives Liverpool the lead early on from the spot…

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK #UEL pic.twitter.com/owbbBmY8TT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 18, 2024

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The Liverpool squad will know that they’ve made hard work of the second leg against Atalanta by handing the home side a three-goal lead but the interaction between Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold shows morale is quite high.

As is customary for European competition, the squad trained in front of the media and this meant that they were able to capture the moment our Egyptian King kicked his vice captain.

READ MORE: (Video) Strange thing in Liverpool training that happened for first time ‘virtually all season’

The lack of a reaction from the Scouser gave the impression of a man who is very used to his teammate playing these type of tricks.

Let’s hope we can see such a relaxed group enter Italy and try to get the unlikeliest of victories over the line.

You can watch the moment between Salah and Alexander-Arnold (from 5:29) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Gary Neville may not have the highest regard among Liverpool fans but in his most recent interview with Trent Alexander-Arnold, it’s clear that there’s a lot of respect present between the pair.

The Scouser asked the former Manchester United man how he felt when Phil Neville left Old Trafford, with his brother sharing information on a meeting the pair had with Alex Ferguson.

At this point, our vice captain interjected with: “You geg into everyone’s meetings don’t you!”

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold names ex-Man Utd man in dream dinner guests

It was a hilarious addition from the right-back as he commented on previous remarks about the Sky Sports pundit being involved in youth player contract meetings in his career.

It was a simple moment that showed the comic timing of people from our city, something which even the M62 counterpart couldn’t ignore!

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments to Neville (from 38:17) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Trent Alexander-Arnold is clearly a young man who loves football and that was very much on show during his in depth interview with Gary Neville.

Speaking on The Overlap, the Scouser was asked to name his three dream dinner guests and said: “I’d say; Stevie G, Zidane and probably Ronaldo I’d say.”

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold names ex-Liverpool transfer target as ‘best friend in football’

Naming all three is not really a surprise for someone who adores the game but perhaps links to a former Manchester United man may shock some.

Perhaps one day this meeting of minds could come to fruition although we’d all probably most like to hear the two boyhood Reds sharing their Anfield insights.

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s dinner guest comments (from 13:14) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Getting to know how players operate outside of football is always interesting and learning who Trent Alexander-Arnold’s best friend in the game is, will certainly interest many.

Speaking on The Overlap, the 25-year-old provided the answer to his best mates as: “I would say, club – Robbo, internationals – probably Jude.”

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold compares former Liverpool teammate to Ronaldo

After such a long transfer saga with Jude Bellingham last summer, to hear that our vice captain has such a strong bond with a man who’s now ripping it up with Real Madrid – makes it even more frustrating a deal couldn’t be completed.

The alternatives of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo weren’t exactly too bad though!

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments on Bellingham (from 12:22) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Liverpool fans are aware of the talents of our players but when compliments for ex-Reds come from teammates, it must mean more – especially from a player as talented as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Speaking on The Overlap, the vice captain spoke about Sadio Mane: “He had everything, the movement was unbelievable, with him as an athlete he was probably in the end similar to [Cristiano] Ronaldo I would say.

“He had the jump, he could get up, he was fast.”

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold destroys Robertson with brutal assist put-down

After saying that the Senegalese forward was the one teammate our No.66 is glad that he didn’t have to play against, it’s clear the Scouser has a lot of respect for the 32-year-old.

Now Al-Nassr get to enjoy watching both Cristiano Ronaldo and our former player in the same team but it’s safe to say the best days are behind the duo.

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments on Mane (from 43:08) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold will forever be connected, not just because they play as full-backs but for the fierce competition they have in trying to beat each other’s numbers each season.

Speaking on The Overlap, the vice captain was asked about the friendly rivalry the pair share: “There was [a competition], we haven’t done it in years now but there was for about two or three years – I’m still unbeaten in it!

“But I always say it’s about the quality of the assist as well, he can pass to someone here, you turn and whip one top bin or take on four players and score – and he’ll claim the assist.

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold names ‘worst nightmare’ former teammate; thankful he never played against

“I’ll play a 60-yard pass, get the assist and it’ll be like, ‘yeah, that’s a proper assist!'” 

It was all very tongue-in-cheek from the Scouser and shows the playful yet competitive spirit that’s present between two good friends.

It seems that the assist competitions are behind the wing men but we’re sure there’s still enough reason for the pair to think they’re better than the other!

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments on Robertson (from 12:36) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Liverpool have had some amazing players in the last few years and Trent Alexander-Arnold has had the pleasure of playing with most of them, although he’s thankful he didn’t play against one in particular.

Speaking on The Overlap, the Scouser discussed Sadio Mane: “He’s the one player that I played with that I always thought I’m thankful I never played against, he would have been my worst nightmare”

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold on times he ‘needed a b*********’ from Klopp

We don’t really need to add much more to this, it’s pretty obvious why anyone would hate having to come up against our former No.10 and his departure from the Reds was a tough one for all of us to take.

Thankfully, we haven’t had to cope too much with seeing the attacker before or after his Anfield career as his best days were spent under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp.

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments on Mane (from 42:54) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool has been legendary and he would be the first to thank those who have played under him during this period, including Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Speaking on The Overlap about the manager, our vice captain said: “There have been times when I’ve needed a b********* and there’s been times when I’ve not needed it, and I need a bit of love and guidance, and he’s been there for me and he’s someone that I can go into his office, even if it’s not football related, and speak to him to vent and get things off my chest.

“He’s always encouraging the lads to go into his office and speak to him, and he’s there to give answers and be honest about the decisions he makes. If you’re going to the manager with questions, the gaffer has to be honest with you.”

READ MORE: (Video) Alexander-Arnold shares new manager fears ahead of Klopp’s departure

It’s a refreshingly honest assessment from the Scouser and shows why the German is so respected by those who are lucky enough to play under him.

It was always going to be a big job to replace the 56-year-old but the more we learn about how extra special the manager is, it’s looking even tougher.

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments on Klopp (from 3:33) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Trent Alexander-Arnold’s entire career has been played under Jurgen Klopp and with the manager leaving this summer, big changes are looming.

Speaking with Gary Neville on The Overlap about the arrival of a new boss, the Scouser said: “I’d probably say I’m sat on the fence with regards to my feelings on a new manager coming in.

“It’ll be a completely different situation and it’s going to be weird to then turn up to pre-season, having to adopt a new playing style.

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“Whereas now, without anything getting said to me, I know all the manager wants me to play, and I turn up to pre-season, I know to jump there, I’m to press there, but for this summer, my next pre-season will have a completely different message.”

It’s an understandable feeling of apprehension from our No.66 as there’s going to be so many changes within the club, in such a short amount of time.

Let’s hope we can arrive in the new campaign full of confidence from a successful end to this one and give the new person in charge the best chance of success.

You can watch Alexander-Arnold’s comments on a new manager (from 7:38) via The Overlap on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Neil Jones has sought to allay Liverpool fans’ fears over the futures of two crucial first-team players at Anfield.

As things stand, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are approaching the final year of their respective contracts with the Reds, which may leave some supporters worried that the duo mightn’t renew terms with the club.

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However, speaking to EOTK Insider, the journalist is confident that it won’t be much longer before the LFC hierarchy will tie down both players for another few years.

Jones stated: “There’s obviously Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract and I personally expect that to be sorted. I also expect Virgil van Dijk to get a new contract.”

READ MORE: (Video) David Ornstein claims Liverpool could ‘think outside of the obvious’ in manager search

READ MORE: ‘Needs another body’ – Neil Jones insists Liverpool must strengthen in one position this summer

With Jurgen Klopp leaving in a few weeks’ time and speculation arising once more over Mo Salah’s future (his current deal also expires in June 2025), Liverpool could be at risk of facing into a period of alarming uncertainty.

We still don’t know who’ll be taking over from the German as the Reds’ next manager, and that process could be delaying the contract situations regarding Trent and Van Dijk.

It’s understandable that players might want to hold out until the managerial situation is sorted before committing their futures to a club, especially in the Dutchman’s instance as he turns 33 in July.

However, the duo’s status as captain and vice-captain makes it clear how highly they’re valued at Anfield, and there’s still enough time for them to assess their respective futures before the clock truly begins to tick on their existing deals.

Like Jones, we’ve every confidence that both Trent and Van Dijk will pen contract extensions well before the June 2025 expiry date, thus ensuring that Liverpool keep hold of two of their most integral players for another few years.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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Jamie Carragher has sought to clarify what he meant by advising Liverpool to go with a ‘second string’ line-up for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta.

The Reds’ European involvement is dangling by a thread after they lost 0-3 at home to the Serie A side last Thursday, leaving them with a huge mountain to climb for the return fixture in Bergamo later this week.

The Sky Sports pundit advocated for a much-changed line-up to be fielded in Italy in deference to the Premier League campaign, although he’s insisted that he wasn’t calling for a virtual under-21 team to be put out against the Nerazzurri.

Awful result & performance from Liverpool, the only consolation about getting beat so heavily is Jurgen should play a full second string in the second leg & go all in for the league!

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 11, 2024

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Speaking to the Liverpool Echo on Saturday, Carragher clarified: “When I said ‘second string’ I wasn’t talking about the kids. I meant, you know, give Trent [Alexander-Arnold] a game, give Diogo Jota a game, Curtis Jones, maybe the goalkeeper [Alisson Becker] plays.

“When you’ve got to play four away in 10 days because they’ve got to go to Atalanta on the Thursday and then Fulham on the Sunday, I was just thinking playing your best team and trying to give it absolutely everything and it might not be enough, because it is going to be tough.

“Then you go to Fulham and you’re not at your best and it doesn’t go well at Fulham, you are then falling behind in the league. The Premier League title is so much bigger than the Europa League. We all want to win both but we have put ourselves in a difficult position but we have still got ourselves in a great position in the league.

“We’re in a better position in the league than we are now in the Europa League, so for me I just think the league is too important, especially if we win against Crystal Palace. Fulham is much more important than Atalanta and even getting through.”

READ MORE: (Video) ‘I’m told…’ – Journalist hints at Liverpool’s ‘preference’ in new manager search

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There’s logic to Carragher’s suggestion that Jurgen Klopp may be best advised to play the percentages and field a much-changed line-up next Thursday, given the scale of the task that Liverpool face in Europe amid a Premier League title charge where there’s no room for error.

The German was questioned over the alterations he made to the team for the first leg, with his decision to start with Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai on the bench backfiring as then Reds sunk to a heavy defeat.

However, considering the spate of injuries with which we’ve had to contend earlier this season, it makes sense for the manager to utilise the enviable squad depth that he now has, especially with such a hectic period of crucial fixtures coming up.

Obviously we want to see Liverpool excelling on all fronts, but if a European exit on Thursday is the price to pay for winning every Premier League match (and ultimately the domestic title) until the end of the campaign, most fans would probably sign up for that right now.

Klopp could still go with a reasonably strong team against Atalanta and make a few alterations for the Fulham clash three days later with what he’d consider to be the ‘best’ starting XI available to him.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

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Jurgen Klopp has explained why he didn’t introduce Trent Alexander-Arnold off the bench during Liverpool’s 0-3 defeat to Atalanta on Thursday night.

The vice-captain and Diogo Jota both returned to the matchday squad for the first time since mid-February after their respective knee injuries, but while the Portuguese winger was given 15 minutes of game-time, the 25-year-old remained unused despite his team’s woes.

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Speaking to the press afterwards, the Reds manager outlined that the West Derby native wasn’t ready for action last night and was only included among the substitutes to make up the numbers.

Klopp explained (via liverpoolfc.com): “There was no chance to play Trent. He was on the bench because we were allowed to put 23 players into the squad. He had two sessions. Diogo didn’t have more really but the information from the medical department is [he was a] step ahead, so he can play a little bit longer.”

READ MORE: ‘He has been missing…’ – BBC pundit believes Klopp faces an ‘issue’ with one Liverpool player

READ MORE: Liverpool-linked £34m ace ‘may want to leave’; he’s ‘being courted by English clubs’

With Liverpool struggling so badly on the pitch and Trent among the substitutes, Reds fans may have been wondering why Klopp didn’t throw his vice-captain into the fray, particularly when Jota was utilised.

However, the manager knows better than anyone (aside from the medical staff) whether or not a player is ready for action, and not even someone of the 25-year-old’s playmaking quality would’ve been able to rescue a result for us last night, such was the chasm between us and Atalanta.

The extra couple of days until the Crystal Palace game might be the window that’s needed for our number 66 to reach a sufficient fitness level to at least get onto the field of play. If not, next week’s second leg in Italy could mark his comeback.

The last thing Klopp will want to do is bring Trent back too early and risk seeing him break down again, potentially scuppering his involvement for the remainder of the season.

Liverpool will need their vice-captain between now and the end of May, so managing his fitness will be crucial. You can be sure that the manager will restore the 25-year-old to the team when the moment is right.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

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