Alexander-Arnold names summer signing that’s taken Arsenal ‘up a level’; Gunners ‘deserve’ success

Liverpool man Trent Alexander-Arnold has detailed how Declan Rice has take Arsenal “up a level” and he believes the Gunners “deserve to be near the top.”

Liverpool and Arsenal are currently the Premier League’s top two sides. The Reds currently top last season’s runners up by just a point, and the sides meet in the next game.

Whoever wins the match will be top of the table at Christmas.

While not on every occasion, that tends to be a pre-cursor for winning the title, and sends a message to the sides around that whoever is top at this point in the season is a genuine contender.

Last season, it was Arsenal, and they were far and away the best side in the league for much of the campaign.

But a late slip let Manchester City back in, and they romped home to win the league for the third consecutive season.

Since narrowly missing out on the title, the Gunners have added some useful assets to their side, helping them retain their spot as one of the best sides in the league.

Mikel Arteta signed Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya, and Alexander-Arnold feels the former has helped the side go beyond where they have previously been.

TAA feels Arsenal level has risen with Rice

“Whether it is him [Rice] or how they adapted, I feel they have gone up a level this season,” Alexander-Arnold said, quoted by the Daily Mail.

“They’re very consistent and they are winning in a controlled manner. It is different to how we are winning a lot of games. A couple of our games have been last minute, or down to ten men, winning in different ways.

“It feels like they are winning in a different way. He has been a big part of that. I have shared the pitch with him with England and know what he offers and brings to a team.

“You can see it in how he plays; breaking up the play, getting the team up the pitch and [doing] a lot of the dirty work.”

Arsenal ‘deserve’ current status

The Liverpool defender also feels Arsenal deserve to be where they are, but so do Liverpool, and one side’s top run must at least be halted briefly, whether through a draw or a loss.

“They are a young, exciting team who last year probably lacked experience winning, more than anything. That’s quite similar to what we were in that season when we were nipped to it by City by one point,” Alexander-Arnold added.

“Those experiences teach you a lot. It teaches you how to win. They will be bringing that from last season and it is showing in their consistency. They deserve to be near the top. So do we. It will be an exciting game.”

He also expects City – currently fourth – to come back with a vengeance, so believes the top sides must keep up their good runs to hold them off.

“We all know what City are like. In a couple of weeks they will probably click into gear and win every game until the end of the season.

“So we know that is coming as usual. Arsenal will have learned from the games when they dropped points at the end of last season,” Alexander-Arnold said.

READ MORE: Liverpool dragged out of race for rapid Euro centre-back as ‘less posh’ Prem sides take lead