Robertson mounts detailed defence of Alexander-Arnold’s defending amid enduring scrutiny
Ex-Liverpool star Andrew Robertson has used a fresh interview appearance to deliver a firm and detailed defence of former Reds team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold, challenging a long-standing narrative around the defender’s work without the ball.
The pair formed one of the most recognisable full-back pairings in the modern game during their time together under Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, operating on opposite flanks of a back line built to sustain high pressing and territorial dominance in both domestic and European competition.
From Liverpool flanks to diverging reputations
Robertson, now with Tottenham, was widely praised during his Liverpool spell for his energy, delivery and intensity on both sides of the ball.
Alexander-Arnold, by contrast, has frequently had his defensive positioning and one‑v‑one work questioned by sections of supporters and pundits, even as his attacking output and passing range became central to Liverpool’s build-up play.
The debate has followed the right-back into his current spell at Real Madrid, where, at 27, he continues to split opinion despite playing at one of the most scrutinised clubs in world football.
Robertson’s detailed on-field perspective
Speaking on The Overlap podcast this week, Tottenham’s Robertson moved beyond general support to give specific, first-hand examples of Alexander-Arnold’s defensive capacity at elite level.
“Trent’s defending? In Trent’s best games, he was an unbelievable 1v1 defender. I’ve seen Trent lock up Mbappé at PSG and he was unbelievable in the Champions League finals.
“Trent is a very good defender but there’s this stigma around him that he can’t defend from a very early age and that he can’t shift it.”
Robertson’s reference to Champions League finals and high-profile assignments such as marking Kylian Mbappé underscores that his assessment is rooted in matches of the highest stakes, overseen by competition regulations and officiating standards set by UEFA.
How Liverpool’s structure shaped perception
Robertson also offered rare tactical insight into how Liverpool’s system under Klopp affected the workload and scrutiny on each full-back.
He explained that, on the left, he benefited from consistent defensive support from Sadio Mané:
“At Liverpool, we defended differently. Sadio Mané would always help me if I messed up…”
On the opposite side, however, Liverpool’s need to keep Mohamed Salah high up the pitch as an attacking reference point meant Alexander-Arnold often had less immediate cover.
“…but with Trent we had to leave Mo Salah up, and he would sometimes wait on Henderson to help and that’s where I sometimes felt sorry for him.”
That brief description sheds light on how role allocation at a possession-heavy, press‑oriented club can influence public judgment of individual defenders. A right-back tasked with providing width in attack, maintaining passing lanes into midfield and covering transitions behind a forward who stays high will inevitably face more visible one‑on‑one recovery situations than a counterpart with regular wide support.
Why Robertson’s intervention matters
Robertson’s comments speak directly to two live debates in elite football: how creative full-backs are evaluated, and how tactical structures affect perceptions of defensive reliability.
For Alexander-Arnold, whose creative influence has encouraged discussions over whether he should feature as a full-back or in midfield, the portrayal of him as a defensive liability has potential implications for how coaches select and deploy him in major competitions governed by bodies such as The Football Association and UEFA. In tournaments and knockout fixtures where a single mistake can define a campaign, reputational narratives can shape selection decisions as much as form or fitness.
Robertson’s intervention, grounded in first-hand experience at Liverpool and framed by explicit examples of high-level defensive performances, challenges a simplified view of Alexander-Arnold’s game. It repositions the discussion around the collective responsibilities of Liverpool’s structure, the demands placed on attack-minded full-backs, and the importance of context when assessing defensive work at the top of the European game.
Conor Laird – GSFN