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Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has the potential to be his team's weak link against Ajax in the upcoming UEFA Champions League clash, according to journalist Tom van Hulsen.
Alexander-Arnold, 23, has recently come under fire for his lethargic performances in the Reds' backline this season. His lapse in concentration played a huge role in his team's humiliating 4-1 loss at Napoli in their UEFA Champions League Group A opener on September 7.
Ajax, on the other hand, opened their continental campaign with a resounding 4-0 win over Rangers last week.
Alfred Schreuder's side will go into Tuesday's clash against the Merseyside outfit in fine form. They have registered clean sheets in their last five games across all competitions and scored 16 goals.
Speaking to Ajax Showtime, Van Hulsen claimed that Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn could cause a lot of problems for Alexander-Arnold. He asserted that the Reds are vulnerable at the back, saying:
"The defence is the Achilles heel at Liverpool right now. If Bergwijn is on the left wing against Alexander-Arnold, then there are opportunities for Ajax. If he can be sent away a few times, then there are possibilities."
He continued:
"If Ajax plays its own game, then they automatically make it difficult for Liverpool. Napoli has done that too. It says enough that the respect for Liverpool – that you naturally go a bit on the defensive – is no longer there. Opponents smell blood. Ajax can best play its own game and try to attack."
Analysing Reds head coach Jurgen Klopp's pre-match comments about his faltering defense, Van Hulsen added:
"He was largely referring to [Joe] Gomez, as he was responsible for two goals against Napoli. Alexander-Arnold is also letting his old mistakes resurface, as he seems to be dreaming defensively. [Virgil] van Dijk is also not the one who was unbeatable halfway through the previous season."
Liverpool have registered just three wins in eight games in all competitions so far this season.
Jurgen Klopp opens up about Liverpool's preparations ahead of Ajax clash
Klopp recently shed light on how his players scrutinised their own performances against Napoli to better prepare for the next match. Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of the Ajax clash, he said (via Liverpool Echo):
"We had a meeting, showed them the situations and I didn't have to say a lot [about Napoli]. The players know. We brought ourselves to this situation. We had obvious football problems which was from misjudgments. Everyone wanted to sort it by themselves."
He added:
"We had 4 or 5 days now of absolute truth. Not to knock the players down, just to make sure where we are now, this is the starting point for us to sort the problems together on the pitch. No pointing at each other."
The Reds are currently seventh in the Premier League table. Their match against Chelsea, which was set to take place on the weekend, has been postponed due to preparations for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral.
Hence, Liverpool will look to put up a good performance against Ajax to go into the international break on a high.
