Liverpool may reopen the door after finding the perfect spark to revive their flagging attack. Darwin Núñez

defender for Liverpool Trent Alexander-Arnold showcased his long-range passing abilities in the Europa League matchup with Atalanta.

It will be a welcome return to the Reds’ build-up play for Jürgen Klopp.

Even while Liverpool’s victory over Atalanta on Thursday night did not keep it in the 2023–24 Europa League, it did show that it was capable of defeating the Italian team’s man–to–man marking strategy. Playing long passes is the simplest technique to remove opponents from the equation and create space.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was starting for the first time after 14 Liverpool games and little over two months since his last one, was the main architect behind this for the Reds. He completed nine long passes, or passes longer than thirty yards, according to FBRef. This is a comparatively high number considering he did not play the entire game.

In the past seven seasons, Alexander-Arnold is only the ninth Reds player to score at least nine long balls while playing no more than 71 minutes away from home. Three of the remaining eight were his doing, with Thiago Alcântara’s Liverpool debut against Chelsea coming in first place with thirteen long passes made in just forty-five minutes.

In Bergamo, it was a much shorter effort that had the biggest effect. Alexander-Arnold attempted a cross, but it struck Matteo Ruggeri’s hand, giving Mohamed Salah the penalty kick and the game’s lone goal. However, the move was initiated by a long pass from number 66, who released Luis Díaz on the left. Atalanta was unable to reclaim possession until the game was underway with a 1-0 deficit.

Five minutes later, the same link-up set off a series of events that culminated in an Opta-defined huge chance. Once more, Alexander-Arnold found Díaz with a long ball, and after three passes, the Colombian scored the goal for Atalanta. Even though the right-back’s long passes that resulted in shots were no longer effective, between that point and his substitution, he was involved in three of Liverpool’s six goal efforts, either as the creator or the shooter.

The Reds’ previous trip to Atlanta yielded even greater results due to their lengthy passage. Long passes helped them score five goals that evening, which is an incredible amount for just one game. For comparison, Liverpool has eight long-ball assists this season in all competitions.

Four were provided by Alexander-Arnold. Using his exquisite long-range passing, he assisted both Curtis Jones and Salah in the Carabao Cup match against West Ham after setting up Darwin Núñez in the win at Bournemouth.

Even while these goals were crucial in helping the Reds win a trophy this season, it’s possible that the 25-year-old’s most significant long-ball assist of the campaign was the one that allowed Salah to equalise against Arsenal at Anfield.

The passes that come before goals are always more memorable when they are scored. The lone chance-generating opportunity in the Gunners encounter came from a long ball, but Liverpool had three against Burnley and Newcastle the next two games (two from Alexander-Arnold at Turf Moor), but the shots were not converted.