A brilliant throw-in by Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool’s win over Atalanta has shown why hiring Thomas Gronnemark was such a shrewd move.
The Reds were outstanding on Tuesday night, thrashing the Serie A side 5-0, with Diogo Jota scoring a hat-trick and both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane also finding the net.
It means the Premier League champions have won their opening three Champions League group games for the first time, topping Group D in the process.
As pointed out by Empire of the Kop, Alexander-Arnold produced a perfect throw-in in the lead-up to Mane’s goal – Liverpool’s fourth – firing a throw into in the midfield and into space, allowing Salah to tee-up his teammate.
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This is a perfect example of why Jurgen Klopp hired the services of Gronnemark in the summer of 2018, with the Dane a professional throw-in coach.
The decision was mocked by some at the time, most notably Richard Keys and Andy Gray, but it is all about Liverpool gaining minor advantages over opponents.
A throw-in may not seem like much, but Alexander-Arnold’s quality on Tuesday night essentially helped create a goal.
Thinking outside the box like this has been part of the reason Liverpool have been arguably the best team in Europe over the last couple of years.