Trent Alexander-Arnold hails Liverpool win for the ages

Trent Alexander-Arnold saluted one of the best performances of manager Jurgen Klopp’s reign after helping Liverpool clinch a “very, very special” victory at Newcastle.

The Reds looked dead and buried at St James’ Park when skipper Virgil van Dijk was sent off three minutes after Anthony Gordon had fired the home side into a 25th-minute lead.

However, they escaped further punishment to make it to the latter stages of the game still only one goal in deficit, and ultimately emerged with three points after substitute Darwin Nunez scored an unlikely late double.

DARWINNN

The moment Nunez secured all three points at St James’ Park #NEWLIV pic.twitter.com/kPQD9XCSJO

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 27, 2023

Alexander-Arnold told the club’s official website: “It’s unbelievable, to be honest. It was something very special out there today.

“You come here with a game plan, you want to dictate possession, you want to control the game, you want to try to kill the atmosphere as quick as possible, as much as possible because you know that’s a big advantage for them.

“But that wasn’t the case and we’ve had to do it the hard way, the very hard way.

“I think we have made it difficult, but out there we dug deep, we all pulled in together.

Never give up!

Great team effort! Thanks for the support! pic.twitter.com/4ZNt0YvGec

— Darwin Núñez (@Darwinn99) August 27, 2023

“It was something for the ages, to be honest, one of our best performances since the manager’s come in – and we’ve had some outstanding performances as a team, as individuals.

“But I think we’ll look back on this game as something very, very special.”

Things might have turned out differently for Alexander-Arnold in particular had referee John Brooks judged his sixth-minute challenge on Gordon seconds after he had been booked for kicking the ball away differently, but he survived that scare and the sternest of examinations at the hands of the former Everton striker to emerge victorious.

Nevertheless, it took a superb save from keeper Alisson to deny Miguel Almiron before the break and a post to keep the Paraguay international at nay after it, but forgotten man Nunez took full advantage with a superb double, levelling in the 81st-minute before winning it three minutes into stoppage time.

Alisson said: “You cannot underestimate [Liverpool], even in a game like that. But to be honest, even when we play against them here last season they had one player sent off and it was really hard to play against 10 men.

“When you play as a unit, you can do so many things on the pitch. You can make the pitch be smaller. With the quality that we have in the team, we can do so many things.

“We said in the changing rooms in half-time that we should believe, we’re going to have chances and we should believe that we are capable of doing something here tonight.

“We did it. This is one of a kind.”