Trent Alexander-Arnold collected the number 10 shirt for England against North Macedonia

Bukayo Saka could have won the match point for his hat-trick against North Macedonia at Old Trafford on Monday night, but Liverpool defender and midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold impressed again during this recent international break.

Even having shone in his new hybrid role at Anfield and beyond, it was shocking to see his name alongside the No.10 shirt on England’s squad list ahead of beating Malta on Friday night. It was hardly a surprise, however, that in 180 minutes he made his mark again.

Alexander-Arnold, in an even more advanced position than his recent move to Liverpool, was among Valletta’s star performers and just over 72 hours later the club’s academy graduate was back with another performance composed and elegant in the engine room.

It was enough to make Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and even former Chelsea captain John Terry purr as they watched the current squad routinely knock out admittedly limited opponents. Although these three could still read between the lines, Alexander-Arnold successfully played between them.

After seven goals ahead of him, Alexander-Arnold underlined what he has to offer with an assist that helped Saka earn a hat-trick. Queue up the high-level response on social media.

No sooner had the goal come – England’s fourth of the night – than Liverpool hero Carragher tweeted: “Trent v Saka will be one hell of a combination.” Terry followed with his endorsement on the same platform.

In Saka Chat, Channel 4’s team of respected pundits also discussed before the match what Alexander-Arnold can offer his club and country in central midfield, as Gerrard himself took off his suit to appear at Old Trafford on Monday night.

He said: ‘When you play in matches against Malta and you play against another team [North Macedonia] who play with a compact block, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is someone who can open the door at any moment because he has such a range good of passages.

“I think he has a lot of trust and confidence from Jurgen Klopp in this role and it’s very interesting to see that Gareth [Southgate] has given him a chance. But what Trent has done is he’s gone and I thought it was man of the match Friday night.

“He played with confidence and that defensive responsibility was taken away from him because he was under pressure and there was a lot of attention for him in that role.”

Alexander-Arnold would not be declared man of the match against North Macedonia on Monday night. After being ignored by England for so long, he could be their man of the hour.

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Four transfers completed, Darwin Núñez unlocked – This is what Liverpool’s summer is like for Jürgen Klopp

Liverpool still have a lot of work to do in the transfer market, but Jürgen Klopp also needs to work on improving the players he already has, including Darwin Núñez.

While there is a certain transfer obsession in some circles, Liverpool also have other things to consider this summer, particularly how to get the most out of the players Jurgen Klopp already has.

Liverpool’s squad quality – and depth, particularly in midfield – needs to be addressed, but there’s also a good chance, with a seldom rich and long pre-season, that improvements can be made to those already at the club.

Summer offers the perfect platform to integrate Alexis Mac Allister and the other new signings to come in due course, and the period will also be important for players like Darwin Núñez to take the next steps and become even more familiar with the system.

There’s also a question of what happens as the lineup progresses, with Trent Alexander-Arnold doing very well in a hybrid role behind the previous campaign. What is the ideal summer like if Liverpool can solve all these problems and mount a serious title fight in the Premier League? We took a look.

Three more transfers

In an ideal world there is no doubt that Liverpool would need a few more midfielders and then a defender as well. Name-wise, Khéphren Thuram is in the Reds squad, while a move for Nicolò Barella should be explored if there is any chance of the Italian Champions League finalist leaving Inter Milan.

Defensively, Micky van de Ven is clearly open to a move to Anfield, having recently spoken openly on the subject, but there are other top-level centre-backs who can play on the left and should be considered.

With Caoimhín Kelleher remaining, there is no reason to change the goalkeeping department, when even after Roberto Firmino’s departure, Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon should be able to step in if necessary with five veteran strikers to choose from ahead of them.

Darwin Núñez unlocked

One element of Liverpool’s restart this summer must be new signings, but some existing players must also take the next step.

One of them is certainly Núñez, who scored 15 goals in his first season. With a functioning midfield behind him and less pressure on his shoulders, plus Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota, he should be able to continue.

With a change of squad number he could be Liverpool’s number nine, but the challenge is to ensure he is a regular on the pitch despite competition from many players, including Cody Gakpo.

The Europa League could really help him build more confidence, and with his former clubs there is evidence that it takes him a while to get used to life at a new club before he really blows through his second full year.

Others to take the next step

Núñez won’t be the only one who wants to kick. Gakpo is also a player who has had some time to settle in and now has to prove that he can score regularly and that he’s not just the forward striker.

In midfield, Curtis Jones will hope to pick up where he left off (and his injuries are over) and players like Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajčetić can also make progress again.

Aside from younger players, it’s a challenge for older men like Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah to maintain their level; for most of the rest of the Liverpool squad, it’s more about rediscovering previous levels, including Fabinho and Díaz who fall into that category for different reasons.

Put it all right – and there’s no reason Liverpool can’t – and Klopp’s men will be back where they want to be in no time, and last season’s poor showing can be put to one side.