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But there was something unerringly inevitable that Trent Alexander-Arnold should be the one to take Liverpool to the brink of the Premier League title.

After Virgil van Dijk this week followed Mohamed Salah in reaffirming his Anfield commitment by penning a new contract, the scrutiny has once again fallen on Alexander-Arnold, the other Reds player whose future has been the subject of intense speculation this season having entered the last 12 months of his contract.

Having been sidelined for more than a month with an ankle injury, debate has centred on how Liverpool supporters would react to the right-back given the ongoing interest from Real Madrid.



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It would be wrong to state there was universal approval in the away end when Alexander-Arnold emerged from the bench with just 19 minutes remaining as the visitors became increasingly frustrated at the stubborn resistance of Leicester City.

But Alexander-Arnold soon changed all that

And with ball bouncing invitingly inside the area, the unmarked Alexander-Arnold stormed in to strike an angled drive that was simply too hot for home goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

The first left-footed goal of the right-back's career, it sparked pandemonium in the travelling Kop and a tangible release of delight and relief among his team-mates, Alexander-Arnold ripping off his shirt in celebration as he sprinted behind the goal towards the Liverpool fans.

The number 66 jersey was then placed on the nearby corner flag by Tsimikas, the Greece international ensuring an instantly iconic image.

When Liverpool last won the Premier League in 2020, a superb individual performance at Leicester on Boxing Day from Alexander-Arnold proved a key moment

And while this latest win won’t be quite as pivotal, it will be no less memorable in the story of this campaign.

After the final whistle, Alexander-Arnold was playfully shoved by Van Dijk towards the away end to take their adulation, any dissenters having long forgotten their earlier misgivings.

Liverpool are now just three points away from a second Premier League title in five years and a record-equalling 20th championship

And, whatever happens in the coming weeks as European Super League advocates Real Madrid dangle their sizeable carrot, Alexander-Arnold has been a significant reason.