Szoboszlai mentions Trent after free-kick gives Liverpool victory over Arsenal at Anfield to continue unbeaten start.
‘I should mention Trent’: Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai savours free-kick.
With an incredible free-kick against Arsenal that put Liverpool atop the Premier League, Dominik Szoboszlai acknowledged he would not have taken the set piece if Trent Alexander-Arnold had remained at Anfield.
With the last “moment of magic” that Arne Slot claimed a dull game sorely needed, the Liverpool midfielder kept the champions’ perfect start to their championship defence.
Prior to the defender’s move to Real Madrid, Szoboszlai was behind Alexander-Arnold on Liverpool’s list of suitors, despite having proven his ability to score free kicks on the international scene with Hungary. Against Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who said the new Puma ball being used in the Premier League this season had tricked him, he took advantage of his 30-yard opportunity.
Szoboszlai said: “I was confident in myself, I tried it. I should mention Trent because he was taking the free-kicks in the past. Finally I could have my chance and I did it. I had to take a risk and shoot a little bit harder because I knew Raya likes to jump behind the ball. He’s an unbelievable goalkeeper. If it goes a bit more inside he saves it.”
Raya credited the Hungary captain with “a hell of a strike” but also cited the new match ball as a factor in Arsenal dropping points for the first time this season. “I remember the ball moving a lot and moving away from me,” the keeper said.
“It’s different to the Nike ball so we have to adapt to it. The grip is different, the kick is different. We just have to adapt after playing with the Nike ball for many years. It’s the same for everybody.”