The Premier League continues to deliver week after week, and Matchweek 9 promises to be no different. As the season heats up, the blockbuster fixtures keep coming.
This weekend, all eyes will be on the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal hosts the league leaders, Liverpool.
The Gunners are eager to bounce back from a surprise defeat to Bournemouth, while Liverpool will be looking to extend their winning run. This clash is set to be a thrilling battle between two of the league’s most in-form teams.
Elsewhere, Manchester City will be aiming to maintain their title challenge against Southampton. Manchester United faces a tough test against West Ham, while Chelsea will be keen to get back to winning ways against Newcastle.
With so much at stake in every match, Matchweek 9 is sure to be an exciting one for fans of the Premier League.
This week on Premier League Pulse, we have an interview with Liverpool’s right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who chats about this weekend’s game against Arsenal, as well as his Liverpool career as a whole.
The right back also talks about England’s new manager Thomas Tuchel and discusses the similarities between current Liverpool manager Arne Slot and former LFC manager Jürgen Klopp.
You had a stunning assist against Bournemouth earlier this season to set up Luis Diaz for his goal. You went straight up to Andy Robertson to celebrate before celebrating with the rest of the team. Why was that?
That’s because I matched his record of being the fullback with the most assists in Premier League history. I think he had 59 assists, and I had 58 and after that I got my 59th, so I ran to him and he ran to me, and I told him, now we’re level.
He seemed really happy for you?
Yeah, we both happy for each other. We laugh and joke about these things all day around here on the training ground.
You made your first team debut eight years ago and managed to achieve everything. What does this club mean to you and what does it mean to play for Liverpool?
It’s the same as how I felt when I was six years old and joined the club and got to put the shirt on for the first time. It means everything to me. It’s a privilege and an honour. I know how many people wish they were in my position, and I don’t take that for granted. It’s something I have worked hard for, so it’s something I embrace and Iove, and it’s something I enjoy doing every single time. I have done it more than 300 times now for the first team. Most of the time its ended in good results, but through the good and the bad I have loved putting the shirt on.
You’ve made more than 300 appearances for the club and achieved everything possible. You have also captained your boyhood club. But what stands out as the most special moment you’ve had at Liverpool?
My debut. Because at the age of six my dream was always to play for Liverpool. It was something that motivated me every single day of my life. Coming through the academy and getting closer and closer to it. That was the most motivation. Every day in training I told myself that I need to be the best player out there in training so that will help me in the long run to achieve my dream. And if I can be the best player in my age group then I can go to the next group and try to be the best player there too and then just keep going and I will eventually be the best player and will be able to achieve my dream. It was a very long journey and I said to myself, no matter what, I may go on to play 500-600 games for Liverpool, I may play one game for Liverpool, I may play 300 games for Liverpool, or however many.
I could have even played just a single minute on my debut in my only game, and I would still say I made my debut, and nobody can take that away from me. That I made my debut, that was my dream. My one and only dream as a child.
How similar and different are managers Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot?
Both are really eager for success and want to win. They manage the team in different ways, but all the players including myself respect both the managers as highly as possible and believe in what they are saying. Under Jürgen we had a lot of success, and hopefully during this season under Slot we do well. We have started off well. Really strong start to the season in the league and in competitions.
It’s about consistency now. We’ve got players in the team that won things in the past and understand that consistency is a big part of it, and we need to lean on that, and understand that we need to keep winning games, whether they are hard ones or easier ones. You must treat every game the same, and know that every team wants to beat you.
Last season we saw you venturing from the back and even played in the midfield. This season the team seem a lot more disciplined at the back. Is that the case?
It all depends on the game. Because if you think of Man United away, I played almost like a 10 role. I was higher up the pitch because of the way they press. In certain games I’ll be inside the pitch because of the way the opposition presses. It all varies on how they press. The manager will dissect how the opposition presses, so we can outnumber the way the opposition presses. If they press with the three players, we will have four players around so we can play through them. If they press with the two, then there will be three players and so on.
It’s just about who those players are and what works best. So, wherever the manager tells me to be, I will be. If that’s where I am most likely to get the ball, then I will be there. And if that changes during the game, and I am not getting the ball then we will try another position.
How was the international break? You played extremely well for England.
The international break was great. I had two good games. The team was able to play some good football, and we enjoyed some nice wins. I got some nice man of the match awards and a goal too, which is nice. I would say Lee Carsley and Arne Slot are similar managers in the style in which they play. Both managers want to control the game with and without the ball, so the transition from international to club football has been quite easy for me.
I have enjoyed it and will carry on enjoying it. When you’re winning football games, how can you not enjoy football.
Thomas Tuchel is the new England manager. What are you expecting from him?
I’m expecting someone who is clearly a winner, a competitor, someone who is an exceptional manager. I am very excited to hopefully work with him, be part of his plans going forward, and bring success to the England national team after so long. I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I’m sure our aim as a collective is to go to the USA and come back with the World Cup.
You face a good Arsenal team this weekend. They will be coming into the game on the back of a loss against Bournemouth. Is this the worst thing that could have happened before facing them?
I don’t know. Apparently, this is the start of a 10-game run for us that is going to be very difficult, so in our heads, we’ve just got past a really tough hurdle, and now we’re going on to another really tough hurdle. Whether they need a reaction or not is not in our minds. Maybe they want to try and put things right with a win, but we go there with a mindset to win the game. The manager will come up with a game plan and we will try and go out there and execute that. The mentality of Liverpool Football Club is to go to the Emirates and win.
How can fans get Showmax Premier League on their phones?
Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan for R69 p/m at www.showmax.com for all the Premier League action.
About Showmax
Showmax, launched in 2015 and available in more than 40 markets across the continent, is a leading African streaming service. It offers a unique combination of original African content, first and exclusive international series, popular movies, premium documentaries, and the best kids’ shows, as well as a world-first Premier League live-streaming mobile plan.