Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold often has his defence capabilities questioned and after recent battles in which the winger got the best of the England right-back, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma has commented on his defending.
Brighton and Liverpool clashed twice within the space of a month in January in both the Premier League and the FA Cup, with the Seagulls winning on both occasions and that gave their in-form star Kaoru Mitoma the experience to judge what it is like to play against Alexander-Arnold.
Speaking about the hardest defenders he has come up against in his short career, the 25-year-old said via the Liverpool Echo: “Well, before coming overseas I was in Japan so it would be players from Meiji University such as Keigo Tsunemoto and Hotaka Nakamura (FC Tokyo).
“When it comes to foreign players, I got past Trent Alexander-Arnold once but soon after that when I was blocked by him, his arms were strong. People tend to think that his defending seems weak but he is totally strong, from what I’ve felt in person.”
Mitoma made life very difficult for Alexander-Arnold when the pair met last month, so it will be a surprise to many to hear his comments on the Liverpool right-back.
The Japanese star has been a hit in the Premier League this season and his performances have caught the attention of many. As for Alexander-Arnold, the 24-year-old is having a difficult time this campaign but it should not be forgotten how special a player the right-back is.