How Conor Bradley fared statistically in just 11 minutes compared to Trent Alexander-Arnold against Man United
01/05/2025 03:00 PM
Trent Alexander-Arnold is in the spotlight after Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United on Sunday.
The England international was already in the headlines as Spanish papers report that Real Madrid are eager to sign him on a free transfer this summer, when his contract expires.
Real Madrid actually bid for Alexander-Arnold earlier this month in an attempt to sign the Liverpool No.66 now, but it was rejected by the Reds.
Against Manchester United, the speculation seemed to affect the Liverpudlian as he delivered a poor performance, with Conor Bradley outshining his teammate despite playing just 11 minutes.
Conor Bradley shows Trent Alexander-Arnold how to defend
If Trent Alexander-Arnold does leave Liverpool in 2025, Arne Slot has a fantastic replacement ready to go in the Northern Ireland international.
SofaScore shows that Bradley won three out of three ground duels after replacing the 26-year-old in the 86th minute, while also completing the one dribble he attempted, and registering a shot on target.
In comparison, Alexander-Arnold did not win a single ground duel, losing all five he was involved in as Diogo Dalot caused him problems, while also failing to record a dribble or shot on target like Bradley did.
The Liverpool No.84 also won a freekick to ease the pressure on his teammates, another thing Alexander-Arnold failed to do.
| Minutes | Successful Ground Duels | Dribbles | Shots On Target | Freekicks won | |
| Conor Bradley | 11 | 3/3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 86 | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Of course, very few players on the planet can boast the technical ability of Alexander-Arnold, but when it comes to defending, Bradley is arguably the better of the two.
The one blot on Conor Bradley’s copybook in Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United
There was one thing the 21-year-old could have done better against Manchester United.
As aforesaid, Bradley recorded one shot on target, but it really ought to have been a cross to Mohamed Salah, who was available for a tap in had the Liverpool academy graduate spotted him.
Understandably, Salah was furious with Bradley after the incident.
Nevertheless, at the age of 21, the Castlederg-born prodigy has plenty of time to work on his decision making, and in terms of defending, he already operates like a seasoned professional.
