UEFA EURO Qualifiers: "It's somewhere I enjoy playing," says England's Alexander-Arnold after 4-0 over Malta
Jun 17, 2023
Attard [Malta], June 17 : On Saturday in the UEFA EURO Qualifiers, England defeated Malta 4-0 at the Ta' Qali National Stadium in Attard. The defender-turned-midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold played brilliantly in the match. After the win, he said, " It's somewhere I enjoy playing," as per Sky Sports.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is naturally a defender but his offensive skills and clever attacking play have always been a talking point.
England's manager Gareth Southgate recognised Arnold's talent and put him in the midfield to flex his attacking skills.
The 26-year-old lived up to the task given to him and even bagged a goal. He wore a number 10 jersey while playing against Malta.
After the match in the post-match interview, Trent Alexander-Arnold said, "It's somewhere I enjoy playing and where I can see myself playing. It's about getting myself into this team and trying to be a regular name on the teamsheet," according to Sky Sports.
He further said, "Today was a good foundation to build on. I'm not too bothered where I play as long as I'm playing."
While concluding the Liverpool player said, "It's still early doors, I haven't played it too much, but it feels comfortable, natural," as per Sky Sports.
Former Liverpool and England player Jamie Carragher also praised Trent, saying, "This midfield role for TAA will eventually become the norm for club & country. He creates plenty from full-back as he will in CM, but the goal he has just scored will happen a lot more in midfield. He could get double figures in goals & assists playing further forward."
Malta faced hard luck as the first goal of the match was their own goal conceded by them. In the eighth minute, Ferdinando Apap scored an own goal and gave England a 1-0 lead.
The second goal was scored by England's Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 28th minute. Arnold played in the midfield position for England in the match against Malta. This position was new for him as he usually plays defender. But he stood bright to the new task given to him by the manager. He scored from outside the penalty box and put the ball in the left corner of the net.
Soon after, Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot to give England a 3-0 lead.
In the second half, Newcastle United's striker Callum Wilson scored the fourth goal for England. He scored in the 83rd minute from the penalty spot to seal the game for England.
England took 16 shots out of which eight were on target. They had 66 per cent of possession on the ball during the game. They completed a total of 703 passes with an accuracy of 89 per cent.
Malta failed to register a single shot on target. They had 34 per cent of ball possession during the game. They completed 370 passes with an accuracy of 79 per cent.
The Three Lion's next match will be against North Macedonia on June 20.