Liverpool and Spurs rely on the role to wreak havoc in attack and Saturday’s game will show how the position has evolved
It is quarter of a century since Jack Charlton observed after the 1994 World Cup that full-back had become tactically the most important position in football, and with each passing year his words have come to seem increasingly true. It is entirely possible – likely, even – that Saturday’s Champions League final could be decided by the performance of the respective pairs of full-backs, something that would have seemed absurd even a couple of decades ago.
The statistics are emphatic. No defender has ever registered more assists in the top division of the English league than Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 12 this season. On the other flank, Andy Robertson equalled the previous record with 11. Alexander-Arnold also scored once. That is 24 goals either scored by or directly set up by full-backs, more than Huddersfield scored in total. Danny Rose’s and Kieran Trippier’s figures might not be quite so startling – three league assists each plus one goal for Trippier – but their sallies forward are also a key part of Spurs’ attacking plan.
Written by Jonathan Wilson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/may/30/champions-league-final-full-backs-liverpool-tottenham under the title “Champions League final battle on flanks will underline importance of full-backs | Jonathan Wilson”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
