Attard [Malta], June 17 : In the UEFA EURO Qualifier match on Saturday, England got the better of Malta as they defeated them 4-0. After the win, England's manager Gareth Southgate was pleased by Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance as he played in the midfield. Gareth said he's very keen to do it, as per Sky Sports.
Trent Alexander-Arnold who usually plays as a defender was given a new role in the match against Malta. Arnold played in the midfield and even scored a splendid goal. England's manager Gareth Southgate was impressed by Arnold's performance.
After the match in the post-match interview, Gareth Southgate praised Trent Alexander-Arnold as he said, "I've got no questions in my head. He can do it. It's just learning some nuances of the role, without the ball especially, but he's very keen to do it," according to Sky Sports.
He further added, "A lot of what happens is going to be dependent on his club, because the fact he has been playing partly in there, with the ball, has helped his transition tonight."
Speaking on Arnold's performance, Gareth Southgate said, "What was pleasing tonight is that he's getting used to receiving in tight areas with his back to goal and players behind him, whereas he is used to playing on the touchline, with the play in front of him. He was very comfortable doing that.
"He has enjoyed the project if you like. We talked about it about four weeks ago on the phone and I think he's been excited by it," said England's manager Gareth Southgate.
According to Sky Sports, Gareth Southgate said, "He (Trent Alexander-Arnold) showed exactly what we think he could be capable of and he gives us something different to our other midfield players."
Malta faced hard luck as the first goal of the match was their own goal conceded by them. Ferdinando Apap scored an own goal in the eighth minute and gave England a 1-0 lead.
England's Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the second goal in the 28th minute. Arnold played in the midfield position for England in the match against Malta. This position was new for him as he usually plays defender. But he stood bright to the new task given to him by the manager. He scored from outside the penalty box and put the ball in the left corner of the net.
Soon after, Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot to give England a 3-0 lead.
In the second half, Newcastle United's striker Callum Wilson scored the fourth goal for England. He scored in the 83rd minute from the penalty spot to seal the game for England.
England took 16 shots out of which eight were on target. They had 66 per cent of possession on the ball during the game. They completed a total of 703 passes with an accuracy of 89 per cent.
Malta failed to register a single shot on target. They had 34 per cent of ball possession during the game. They completed 370 passes with an accuracy of 79 per cent.
The Three Lion's next match will be against North Macedonia on June 20.
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