Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool players have shown an iron will and a penchant for late game winners. Trent Alexander-Arnold talks about the team’s mental fortitude and what it has meant to their success.
Much has been said about Liverpool’s ability to find a goal when needed this season to get all three points in a match. While that trait has had supporters’ hearts beating in a polytrythem late in matches more often than not, it’s a trait needed to win not only matches, but titles. Through Liverpool’s 13 Premier League games this season, they have needed a late score (75th minute or later) in 5 of them to seal the deal, including twice at Aston Villa. Each of the match winning goals in those games has come from a different player, including superstars and supersubs alike.
Milner 90′ v Leicester
Lallana 86′ at United
Salah 75′ v Tottenham
Origi 90+4′ v Arsenal (LC)
Robertson 87′, Mané 90+1′ at Villa
Firmino 85′ at Palaceand Wijnaldum (70′) at Sheffield and Salah (69′) v Salzburg if we’re being generous
absolute banter
— nate (@natefc) November 23, 2019
On the interwebs, people have taken to calling the team #MentalityMonsters. In this writers humble opinion, I would say they are more Mentality Giants. The focus and resolve to be able to continually find a way to win is just staggering. That mindset has been built over the course of Jürgen Klopp’s reign. The team has even go so far as to hire a sports psychologist to work with players.
Whatever you want to call them, they were at it again yesterday, with Roberto Firmino scoring in the 85th minute, just three minutes after they had given up the equalizer to Wilfried Zaha. That type of mental fortitude is just staggering. Trent Alexander-Arnold talked about the team’s mindset in difficult situations, including yesterday.
“We have been showing that throughout the course of the season and even last season we showed how much of a good team spirit we have got and resilience,” said Alexander-Arnold.
“So far this season we have had setbacks, we’ve went down in games, had late equalizers against us and we’ve showed that whatever people throw at us we bounce back and proved we are such a solid team,” said the Scouse fullback.
The resiliency is great, but how about a nice, simple blowout next week guys? You know, for the supporters cardiac health.
