What emotional Trent did when Nunez scored speaks volumes as decision pays off

Trent Alexander-Arnold shouldered the responsibility of Liverpool captain in the absence of Virgil van Dijk on Saturday

Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool celebrates to fans after the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St. James Park on August 27, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

By the final minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deafening outburst of emotion could even be heard by the Liverpool supporters perched in the gods of St James’ Park.

Arms aloft, rallying the travelling Kop to provide his side with one final injection of energy, the No.66 knew the Great Escape was tangibly close after Liverpool’s very own Angel of the North, Darwin Nunez, arrowed two last-gasp efforts past Nick Pope to heist all three points on Tyneside.

The look on Alexander-Arnold’s face as he successfully sidestepped the interventions of Elliot Anderson and Kieran Trippier in the final seconds of a pulsating Premier League encounter told the story of what these two sides had served up for the previous hour-and-a-half.

It had been a far-from-ideal start for the 24-year-old as he struggled to contain the lively Anthony Gordon. The former Everton forward, who had also been a product of Liverpool’s academy prior to his release at the age of 11, left Alexander-Arnold walking a disciplinary tightrope after his mischief resulted in the defender being booked by referee John Brooks with less than five minutes on the clock.

Swiftly after that coming together between the pair on the touchline, the Liverpool defender did his side no favours when a cynical effort to smother the Magpies’ first counter-attack resulted in a sea of black and white shirts surrounding referee Brooks, pleading for Alexander-Arnold to be given his marching orders less than 10 minutes into the contest.

Then, after Alexander-Arnold was successful in pleading his case to the referee, he illustrated a disengaged figure as he and his team-mates struggled to combat the searing sound of a St James’ Park crowd baying for blood.

And with Gordon now the instigator of the chaos once again, an incredible lapse of concentration saw a routine back pass slip under his control and allowed Gordon to provide lift-off for the home crowd as coolly slotted past Alisson Becker.

Quickly after that goal, Jurgen Klopp not only had to tweak his tactical set-up after Virgil van Dijk had been dismissed for a swipe on forward Alexander Isak but also his leadership ranks as the Dutchman handed over the captain’s armband to Alexander-Arnold while he trudged for the dressing room.

Following a frantic opening 30 minutes, it wouldn’t have been at all unjust for the 24-year-old to have been hooked in place of Joe Gomez. Surprisingly, though, it was the flashy Luis Diaz who – after proving to be an early thorn in the side of Dan Burn – was sacrificed for the defender’s introduction as the Reds switched to a 4-4-1 formation with Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo providing the width while Mohamed Salah led the line.

But even with Toon boss Eddie Howe – searching for his first win in 11 games against Liverpool – urging his side to push for the jugular and make use of their numerical advantage, it was only then that the Reds injected a dose of serenity into their play with the aim of ensuring it was a matter of damage limitation until the interval.

On that basis, it was quite the baptism of fire for Alexander-Arnold who was being told to steady a seemingly sinking ship on his first Premier League outing as captain since his promotion within Liverpool’s leadership group earlier this summer.

Culpable for the moment that separated the two sides at the break, it was looking like a far cry from some of the vintage performances Alexander-Arnold had delivered during his seven years with the first team.

But fast forward to the final moments of the game as Liverpool stood on the verge of completing the ultimate smash-and-grab mission, impressive was the way in which Alexander-Arnold had not only galvanised himself but the rest of his team-mates with an exemplary, rather understated performance.

Indeed, that emphasised exactly why Klopp had jumped at the opportunity to fast-track the full-back to become Van Dijk’s right-hand man ahead of the more experienced heads of Andy Robertson, Alisson Becker and Salah

“Going down to ten men almost brings the team closer together,” said Alexander-Arnold at full-time. “You have to do the extra yards and you can’t switch off. The lads that came on for us were outstanding.

“It’s always difficult. Especially when you’re away from home, they [decisions] can go against you. It was a bit of a mistake from me and it didn’t help with the crowd on top of me and the team. Me and the team are experienced in these things, we have played in difficult environments and have been able to pull through. To leave here with three points is a very good thing.”

Of course, not even he would have anticipated Nunez’s stunning two-goal salvo late in the afternoon. However, the resilience that was coursing through the veins of the Liverpool squad – personified by the stand-in captain – as they weathered a vicious storm in the North East spoke volumes of the foundations Klopp has to work with this campaign.

What’s more is that last weekend’s similar overcoming of adversity during the 10-man come-from-behind victory against Bournemouth showed that such unbelievable scenes at St James’ Park, while riddled in chaos, were no fluke.

Now, after the exits of good Cop, bad Cop duo Jordan Henderson and James Milner, if this was the full rehearsal for Alexander-Arnold to repay his manager’s faith in his fast-tracked decision, then this could – while not the most impressive – prove to be one of the most defining of his 295 outings for Liverpool to date.

With the lows of last season firmly in the rearview mirror, in which the No.66 was regularly singled out for – at times, unfair – criticism, it’s no wonder his reaction at full-time was so poignant.