'It feels natural' - Alexander-Arnold 'comfortable' as number 10

Trent Alexander-Arnold produced an awesome show for England against Malta, including his 2nd planetary goal

Some fans whitethorn person baulked astatine the show of Trent Alexander-Arnold wearing fig 10 - but, to the England full-back-cum-midfielder, it felt wholly "natural".

It is not a wholly caller conception for the Liverpool subordinate nether Gareth Southgate, having played successful that presumption successful a September 2021 qualifier against Andorra, albeit with underwhelming results.

In Ta'Qali, however, England supporters were treated to a champion of Alexander-Arnold compilation - pinpoint crosses and lofted balls, vigor and accomplishment successful possession and a superb extremity from 25 yards in a regular 4-0 victory.

"I haven't played it excessively much, but it feels comfortable," the 24-year-old told Channel 4 erstwhile asked whether this was a presumption helium could spot his aboriginal in.

"It feels natural, I volition accidental that. It's determination I tin spot myself playing. I privation to marque definite I americium regularly connected the squad expanse and that was a bully instauration to physique on.

"I deliberation the relation I've been playing with nine football, it's a caller avenue. It's inactive aboriginal doors, it's lone 1 match, but it's important that erstwhile I get the opportunity, I instrumentality it."

This triumph was among the easiest England person had for galore years - Malta failed to person a interaction successful the absorption box, fto unsocial a changeable connected target.

But determination were signs successful the link-up play betwixt Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka that this experimentation could beryllium worthy persisting with successful forthcoming tougher qualifying tests against North Macedonia, Ukraine and reigning European champions Italy.

Alexander-Arnold played a portion successful the eighth-minute opener. His walk implicit the apical recovered Saka, whose transverse was turned successful by Malta defender Ferdinando Apap.

It gave England the vantage to debar immoderate accidental of this turning into a stodgy, nervy nighttime similar truthful galore successful past qualification campaigns.

• 'Alexander-Arnold has fixed Southgate nutrient for thought'

'He's shown what he's susceptible of'

Gareth Southgate's England person a cleanable grounds from 3 games successful Euro 2024 qualifying

This was a continuation of Alexander-Arnold's relation for Liverpool towards the extremity of the 2022-23 nine season, wherever brag Jurgen Klopp unleashed him to efficaciously play arsenic a free-roaming attacking midfielder erstwhile successful possession with awesome results.

It caught the attraction of Southgate, who allowed him to play with akin creativity present and without the request to revert to right-back, erstwhile retired of possession arsenic helium does for Liverpool.

Southgate has seldom trusted Alexander-Arnold astatine full-back, preferring Reece James, Kyle Walker oregon Kieran Trippier successful a presumption wherever England person spot and prime options.

However, helium intelligibly wants to pat into the player's creativity, revealing helium spoke with Alexander-Arnold a period agone astir his plans.

"Inevitably a batch of what happens is going to beryllium babelike connected his club," said Southgate. "The information he's been playing partially successful determination with the ball, albeit a spot deeper, has helped his transition.

"I've got nary questions successful my caput helium tin bash it, it's conscionable learning immoderate nuances of the role. He's precise keen to bash it, he's enjoyed the project, we talked astir it astir 4 weeks agone connected the telephone and he's been excited by it. He's shown precisely what we deliberation helium tin beryllium susceptible of."

Playing further up the tract besides allowed England to exploit Alexander-Arnold's long-range shooting ability, usually lone seen astatine free-kicks.

Here, helium recovered abstraction successful unfastened play midway done the archetypal fractional and curled an unstoppable effort past Henry Bonello.

Whether Alexander-Arnold remains England's fig 10 for the aboriginal is debatable. Jude Bellingham, connected instrumentality from injury, volition surely determination consecutive backmost into that role, but Southgate has options now.

'Everything bully England did went done him'

Alexander-Arnold fto alert from 25 yards successful the archetypal fractional to enactment England 2 up successful Malta

Former England midfielder Joe Cole, speaking connected Channel 4, said "everything bully that England person done has travel done him" aft an eye-catching first-half display.

"He's picked up large positions, he's probing with his passing, he's been the hub of everything that England person done," added Cole.

"You person to get a strategy astir getting Trent into positions wherever helium tin impact the crippled - he'd beryllium a joyousness to play with.

"In that presumption it gets the champion retired of the large qualities he's got. He tin marque things happen, helium understands abstraction successful midfield and defensively helium was precise good.

"He looked very, precise comfy and helium looked happy. It was a existent apical show from him."

"He's loving it," erstwhile England goalkeeper Rob Green told BBC Radio 5 Live erstwhile discussing Alexander-Arnold's positional change. "Creating the options and space, helium has intelligibly been fixed the freedom.

"From determination he's conscionable had the joyousness and conscionable had moments erstwhile helium didn't person unit connected him and picked the pass, he's picked the shot. What a infinitesimal for him.

"I deliberation you're looking astatine thing to accidental tin helium springiness you thing different? You're utilized to seeing Rice, Phillips and Henderson successful there, helium surely gives america thing different.

"Whenever anybody's made a tally successful down helium tin look. It's conscionable a antithetic option, a antithetic space for England to onslaught from."

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