Darren Bent has made a shock claim, saying Chelsea defender Reece James is better than Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In a segment on talkSPORT, Darren Bent has insisted that Chelsea full-back Reece James is a better defender than his Liverpool counterpart Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Tottenham striker has also added that James is the quintessential modern-day full-back.
Reece James has come into his own since being promoted full-time to the first-team setup at the onset of the 2019/20 season. After earning his breakthrough under the tutelage of Frank Lampard, the English international has only gone from strength with Thomas Tuchel in-charge, with his latest exploits coming against Arsenal this past weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, has been around for nearly half-a-decade now, having broken into the Liverpool first-team setup in the initial years of Jurgen Klopp’s stint with the Reds. Since then, the youngster has progressed considerably and is now widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world.
Like James, Alexander-Arnold has been in fine touch early in the season, having produced a solid display against Burnley in Liverpool’s Gameweek 2 tie. However, if Darren Bent is to be believed, it is James who is better than his compatriot and counterpart at Liverpool.
? “I genuinely think that Reece James is pushing Trent in terms of being the best RB [in the Premier League].”
? “Defensively, Reece James is better & his delivery isn’t far off, by the way.”
Darren Bent says there isn’t much between Reece James & Trent Alexander Arnold pic.twitter.com/0L6uWd1TOr
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 23, 2021
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Tottenham striker said, “I genuinely think that Reece James is pushing Trent [Alexander-Arnold] in terms of being the best right-back.”
“Every time I see Reece James play… I get it, Trent with his deliveries, there’s no one better than him, but his deliveries are not far off him, by the way. And defensively he’s better, Reece James is better. That is a modern-day full-back. Look at Trent, look at him, Trippier used to do it.”
While Bent’s comments are sure to stir things up, James has indeed been making a case for himself this year. And it might not be long before he is widely regarded as the best full-back in the Premier League. Having said that, Alexander-Arnold has set the bar in recent seasons and will hope to continue doing so in the years to come. Chelsea and Liverpool will, meanwhile, reap the benefits of the English duo’s brilliance.
