The full-back thinks his Brazilian counterpart may not get the accolades awarded to Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but he is just as important
Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has praised his team-mate Roberto Firmino by claiming he is the ‘best No.9 in world football’ and believes only Lionel Messi surpasses him in creativity and link-up play.
The Brazilian has enjoyed a superb start to the new season and not just for his goal scoring prowess, with the 27-year-old netting two in five Premier League games.
However, pundits have also been quick to highlight Firmino’s selfless work rate and he often proves to be the glue needed for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to operate at their best for the Reds.
“The quality he possesses is unbelievable," Alexander-Arnold told Liverpool’s official matchday magazine. "He's one of the best, if not the best, number nines in the world. We wouldn't swap him for any other player.
"He is everything to us. We need Bobby to keep ticking. We need him to connect the play and join all the dots for us. Without him you see how much the team misses. It shows how much we really do need him.”
In fact, so highly does the defender regard Firmino, he has claimed only Argentina star Lionel Messi is better as a creative player.
“You'd struggle to name a better link player. Obviously there's Lionel Messi at Barcelona, but he's out of this world.
"If you're talking about the Premier League I think Bobby is the best and he is still so underrated for what he does for the team.
“Maybe the two other forwards, Sadio and Mo, get all the credit for their goals, but what Bobby does for them can go unnoticed. He drags defenders out of position so they can get in behind them and the way that he presses and wins the ball back is relentless. He's exactly what we need,” he added.
As impressive as Firmino has been in the early weeks of the campaign he will need to be at his very best this weekend when Liverpool travel to Chelsea.
The two sides have already met this year in the UEFA Super Cup, which the Merseysiders won on penalties, while a win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday could restore the Reds’ five-point advantage at the top of the table.