Garth Crooks admits Liverpool boast one of the best fullback pairings he has witnessed in recent memory in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.
The pair starred as the Reds extended their unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a 3-0 win away to Watford on Saturday.
Alexander-Arnold sprinkled a familiar touch of glitter on his upward trajectory with a stunning free-kick from 25-yards out to put his side two up in the 76th minute.
Having troubled the hosts as an attacking outlet for much of the afternoon, Robertson proved integral in wrapping up the points. The Scotland captain joined in with a swift counterattack late on to cross to the feet of Sadio Mane, who saw his shot rebound towards Roberto Firmino for a simple headed finish.
Such was their impact at Vicarage Road that both warranted a place in Crooks’ BBC Sport Team of the Week.
On Alexander-Arnold, Crooks said: “You’ve got Mohamed Salah, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino, all of whom are superb from a dead ball position.”
“Yet the most inexperienced lad on the pitch stepped up, assessed the situation like a veteran and proceeded to leave Ben Foster in the Watford goal rooted to the spot and staring at the ball as it flew past him. Absolutely brilliant.”
He added: “It was Robertson’s tenacity and eventual cross that finally killed the Hornets off completely.
“With Alexander-Arnold on one side and Robertson on the other, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen two such impressive young full-backs in the same team.”
The pair have become instrumental to the way Jurgen Klopp sets up and the style of play he demands from this Liverpool side.
Besides aiding the team’s significant defensive improvement over the past 12 months, they have emerged as welcomed attacking outlets in support of the Reds’ front three.
A self-introduced competition to see who can record the most assists this season speaks volumes about not only their ambitions in the final third, but also the confidence to deem themselves legitimate creators.
Between the overlapping runs and the crisp deliveries, they are both encouraging the front three’s interchanging as well as giving them good reason to flood the box.