Trent Alexander-Arnold puts up yet another historic calendar year

Trent Alexander-Arnold has put up yet another historic calendar year with his attacking numbers from full-back. Here's how he ranks.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has played his final match of 2023 and once again, he's put up some incredible numbers. The Liverpool right-back has pretty much redefined his role over the years - and did so again over the last 12 months.

Alexander-Arnold made a tactical switch at the start of the year, with Jurgen Klopp asking him to drift into more central roles. This was a change for the Scouser as he'd typically found his success as a wide player who overlapped the winger.

Now, though, Alexander-Arnold has more of an effect in the middle. The change has been an enormously successful one - you can pinpoint Liverpool's change in form last season to the moment they made it.

It's also triggered a bounce-back for Alexander-Arnold himself, who has been far more productive this year than he was in 2022.

PopFoot on X have highlighted that wonderfully as they ranked 21st-century full-backs by their offensive numbers. Alexander-Arnold's goals and assists for '23 are the fourth-highest combined figure since 2000.

He's managed 23 goals and assists in 51 games, coming from four goals and 19 assists. The only three calendar years to beat that from full-back are Roberto Carlos's 2003 (26 G+A), Alexander-Arnold's 2019 (25 G+A) and Dani Alves's 2008 (also 25 G+A but in 47 games).

Alexander-Arnold is also the only player to appear in the top-10 three times for the 21st century. His 2019 (2nd), 2023 (4th) and 2021 (7th) all appear, with no other player managing more than two appearances. In fact, Dani Alves is the only other player to appear twice.

It's also worth mentioning that Alexander-Arnold's 2023 is the fourth-highest in G+A per game (0.45). Only his 2019 (0.48), Alves's 2008 (0.49) and Ricardo Rodriguez's 2014 at Wolfsburg (0.5) top it.

There's all the evidence you need, then, to show just how successful Alexander-Arnold's switch to the inverted fullback role has been. After slowing down for 2020, he's back amongst the all-time greats and playing historic football once again.