MY ACCOUNT
Trent Alexander-Arnold accepts there is pressure for Liverpool to win at least one trophy every season.
At the same time, Alexander-Arnold knows silverware will not come easily, noting star-studded Manchester City have yet to win the Champions League.
Still only 23, the England right-back is already a Premier League and Champions League winner, as well as holding medals in the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Liverpool remain in the hunt for silverware on four fronts this term despite trailing holders City by nine points in the league, albeit with a game in hand.
The Reds squad is arguably as strong as it has ever been, with the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz having bolstered strength in depth over the past two windows.
Homegrown talent Alexander-Arnold has noticed a shift in expectations over the past few seasons but does not feel there has been a lack of success in relation to the strength of performances.
“We don’t feel disappointed we haven’t won enough trophies. We feel the trophies we have won are the biggest and the best you can get your hands on,” he said, ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first-leg tie at Inter.
“Obviously, I’m not making any digs, but you look at Man City’s amazing team and they haven’t been able to win the Champions League.
“They’ve won a couple of Prems but haven’t won the Champions League; we’ve won both over the last few years, so it shows we’re able to do it in both competitions.
“But I think there’s an expectation now as a team, as players, to win trophies. One trophy a season minimum is what we want to be achieving with the squad we’ve got, the players, the manager. We should be winning trophies; if we don’t, it’s disappointing.
“We’re not at that stage now where we’re happy to just get to finals and it’s unexpected and a day out. There’s an expectation now to do that every season.”
Assessing Liverpool’s aims for this campaign, Alexander-Arnold acknowledged the title race is out of the Reds’ hands to an extent but says there is a confidence among the team in all the other competitions.
“As a team, as a club, we do expect ourselves to go as far as we can in competitions. Looking at it now there’s only the league that’s not really in our hands, all other cup competitions we believe we can win them and beat anyone on our day if we get it right,” he added.
“The only one is the league, anything can happen there, the other three we believe we’re able to win them.
“I would say definitely on all four fronts, it makes it easier now having so many great players in the team.
“The season when we won the Champions League we almost won the league, we’ve shown ourselves and other people we can compete on multiple fronts.
“To have a place in all four competitions at this stage of the season is good for us, we’ve got a chance in a few weeks to add silverware early doors [in the EFL Cup final against Chelsea].
“That’s the focus for us, to have a chance in all four competitions for as long as we can.”
