Southgate believes Alexander-Arnold showed great discipline in midfield

England kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a hard fought victory over Serbia on Sunday evening.

Jude Bellingham headed home the only goal of the game after 13 minutes, and Gareth Southgate’s side held on despite coming under increased pressure in the second half.

England are one of the favourites for the tournament given the talent they possess in their squad, but there are one or two question marks hanging over the team.

Perhaps the biggest is the make-up of the midfield and who plays alongside Declan Rice, with Southgate opting for Trent Alexander-Arnold over Conor Gallagher and youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton.

Alexander-Arnold did well on the whole, displaying great quality on the ball with his range of passing and ability to pick a pass, but concerns remain over his defensive ability and whether he has the discipline to play in the middle of the park.

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Roy Keane warned Southgate the Liverpool ace could get found out in midfield against the better teams and it’s difficult to argue against that despite a largely positive performance on Sunday night.

Southgate praised the 25-year-old saying he thought he showed “great discipline” and singled out his range of passing.

Watch Southgate assess Alexander-Arnold’s midfield performance

“I thought he showed great discipline” ?

Gareth Southgate on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance in midfield ? pic.twitter.com/rmNAyRJKrD

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 16, 2024