For all the brilliance that Arne Slot has at his disposal, losing Trent Alexander-Arnold for free in the summer will no doubt sting. But how did his potential replacement, Conor Bradley, fare in his side’s 2-1 win over West Ham United in the Premier League?
Alexander-Arnold, according to reports, has all but sealed a move to Real Madrid once his Anfield contract ends in the summer and the likes of Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen are being touted as his long-term replacement.
Alternatively, Slot and his entourage could turn their attention to 17-cap Northern Ireland international Bradley, who has been waiting patiently in the wings for his opportunity on the red half of Merseyside since being promoted to senior proceedings.
A Statistical Look at Bradley’s Display vs West Ham
First utilised by Jurgen Klopp, the Castlederg-born ace has featured in north of 50 outings for the Reds’ first team – and while he may not offer the same attacking output as Alexander-Arnold, he has often been praised for his defensive robustness.
Against West Ham, until being replaced by Jarell Quansah in the 68th minute, he had the onerous task of keeping the likes of Mohammed Kudus under wraps. The youngster, as expected, saw a lot of the ball before being replaced.
In 68 minutes of action, he notched 66 touches – five of which were in the West Ham box – and his forward-thinking nature was evidenced by his tally of six passes in the final third.
His defensive numbers also highlight what he’s able to provide Slot – regarded as one of the best managers in world football – and his entourage going forward: a sense of stability alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk and whoever partners the Dutchman.
Bradley won the majority of his duels (6/8) and was dribbled past just once in 68 minutes. Elsewhere, he registered six ball recoveries, which highlights his high-octane nature out of possession, and he also won all four of his tackles.
Although Alexander-Arnold’s inevitable departure is a worry for those of a Liverpool persuasion, as evidenced by the number of links with potential replacements, there is every chance that Bradley could occupy the right-back berth, thus saving club owners FSG millions of pounds.
Liverpool fans, on the back of his performance against the east Londoners, have waxed poetic about the 21-year-old. One fan kept is short and sweet by writing: “Conor Bradley is phenomenal. So blessed to have him as our RB.”
“Having Conor Bradley at Right back makes so much difference when he plays. So much energy and drive with the ball while eager to defend the right-hand side.” another wrote while a third member of the Anfield faithful praised his link-up with Mohamed Salah.
Phenomenal’ was the word used by another supporter: “Conor Bradley is phenomenal. So blessed to have him as our RB.” while another said: “Never loses the ball, will never be the better player over Trent but he fits the system better. Our build up is smoother and more stable.
Perhaps a sly dig at Alexander-Arnold’s lack of defensive astuteness, another praised how solid Bradley looked when under pressure from West Ham. They wrote: “And [he] defends brilliantly. How I missed a right back that can defend.”
