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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson jointly secured Liverpool’s only two Premier League titles.
An era concludes at Liverpool.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold reportedly heading to Real Madrid and new acquisition Milos Kerkez poised to challenge Andy Robertson’s position, one of the Premier League’s most celebrated full-back duos is seemingly coming to an end.
Jeremie Frimpong, a summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, is expected to start at right-back next season, paired with Kerkez, while Robertson has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield.
Liverpool’s revamped full-back pairing will undoubtedly face the challenge of replicating the significant impact that Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have had.
Alexander-Arnold and Robertson shared the pitch on 279 occasions, averaging 35 games per season across all competitions during their eight-year partnership.
Notably, the only player each has featured alongside more frequently is Mohamed Salah.
Robertson arrived from Hull City for £8m in the 2017-18 season, while Alexander-Arnold, a product of the academy, debuted the season prior.
Together, they secured 185 victories out of those 279 games, suffering defeat only 43 times.
The two full-backs assumed attacking roles within former manager Jurgen Klopp’s dynamic, high-pressing system, contributing to an unprecedented number of goals.
Their individual assist records are remarkable in isolation, but their concurrent success is what sets them apart.
In March 2019, Alexander-Arnold told the BBC: “We both thrive off each other’s performances.
“We have got a competition between ourselves this season to see who gets more goals and assists. It’s a healthy competition.”
In Premier League history, only ten defenders have provided 10 or more assists in a single season, and Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have each achieved this feat three times.
In the 2019-20 season, they combined for 25 assists.
They stand as the top two assist-providing defenders in Premier League history, with 64 for Alexander-Arnold and 60 for Robertson.
Leighton Baines (53) and Graeme le Saux (44) are the only other defenders to have recorded more than 40 assists.
Across all positions, only former Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, Liverpool teammate Salah, and Tottenham forward Son Heung-min have provided more assists since the full-backs joined forces in 2017-18.
They rank second and third for most chances created by Premier League defenders since Opta began recording this data in 2003-04.
Alexander-Arnold has created 516 chances, while Robertson has created 446, placing them both in the top 10 across all positions since 2017-18.
Baines tops the list for defenders with 635 chances created.
However, Baines played 420 games in the English top flight for Wigan and Everton over 14 years, while Robertson has played 308 (including his time at Hull) and Alexander-Arnold 251.
Beyond assists, the pair were indispensable members of Liverpool’s most successful team since the 1980s.
In addition to a 66% win rate, they secured two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and two League Cups.
Numerous iconic full-back partnerships have existed, and we invite you to share your opinion on the best.
Here are a few to choose from, and if your favorites are missing, please share them in the comments section below.
*All statistics on games played together are sourced from Transfermarkt.
Roberto Carlos and Cafu represented Brazil together on 91 occasions.
Left-back Roberto Carlos and right-back Cafu were iconic figures in the Brazil team throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Their dynamic presence on each flank contributed to Brazil’s triumph in the 2002 World Cup and two Copa America titles.
They briefly shared club duties, playing for Palmeiras in 1995.
Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti played together for Italy at the 1994 World Cup, but 328 of their 332 games in the same team were for AC Milan.
Maldini, versatile enough to play at left-back and in central defense, and right-back Tassotti were integral to one of football’s most revered defensive units.
They formed a formidable partnership with Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta for the dominant AC Milan side of the 1980s and 1990s.
Together, they secured three European Cups, five Serie A titles, and achieved a remarkable 58-game unbeaten run in the league from May 1991 to March 1993.
Maldini and Tassotti played together 328 times for Milan between 1985 and 1997. During the 1993-94 season, Milan conceded only 25 goals across all competitions.
They also featured four times together for Italy, including at the 1994 World Cup.
Neville spent his entire career at Manchester United, while Irwin also played for Leeds, Oldham, and Wolves.
Republic of Ireland left-back Irwin and England right-back Neville played together on 231 occasions for Manchester United.
They were regular teammates between 1994 and 2002, at which stage Irwin departed for Wolves.
The pair won five Premier League titles together under Sir Alex Ferguson and played in the 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich.
Marcelo left Madrid in 2022, while Carvajal remains there.
Attacking Brazil left-back Marcelo and tenacious Spain right-back Carvajal partnered to win five Champions League titles together for Real Madrid between 2014 and 2022.
They played 209 times together and also secured three La Liga titles, in addition to various other trophies.
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