By Emlyn Begley, BBC Sport – 26 June 2025

Liverpool fans are saying goodbye to one of the club’s most iconic partnerships. With Trent Alexander-Arnold sealing a high-profile move to Real Madrid and Andy Robertson’s position under threat following the arrival of Milos Kerkez, one of the Premier League’s finest full-back duos is officially coming to a close.

Jeremie Frimpong, signed from Bayer Leverkusen, is expected to take over at right-back next season. With Robertson now linked with a potential exit from Anfield, Liverpool’s full-back line is entering a new era.

But as the Reds prepare for change, it’s worth asking: just how special was the Alexander-Arnold and Robertson partnership?

Eight Seasons, Nearly 300 Games

Between them, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson made 279 appearances together—averaging 35 matches per season over eight campaigns. The only teammate each played alongside more often was Mohamed Salah.

Robertson arrived from Hull City in 2017 for £8m, while Alexander-Arnold had broken through from Liverpool’s youth academy a year earlier. Together, they helped Liverpool win 185 of those 279 games, losing just 43.

Integral to Jurgen Klopp’s high-octane system, the pair redefined the role of the modern full-back—combining defensive duties with relentless attacking support.

Elite Creativity from the Back

Their assist numbers were historic. In fact, each has recorded 10+ assists in a Premier League season three times, something achieved only 10 times by defenders in the competition’s history.

In Liverpool’s 2019–20 title-winning season, the duo combined for 25 assists, helping power one of the most dominant domestic campaigns in Premier League memory.

Alexander-Arnold sits as the most prolific assisting defender in Premier League history with 64 assists, while Robertson follows closely with 60. The next closest are Leighton Baines (53) and Graeme Le Saux (44).

Only Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, and Son Heung-min have more Premier League assists since the 2017–18 season, across all positions.

They also sit second and third among defenders for most chances created since Opta began tracking the stat in 2003–04—Alexander-Arnold with 516, Robertson with 446. The only player above them is Baines (635), who achieved that over 420 games, compared to Robertson’s 308 and Alexander-Arnold’s 251.

Serial Winners in a Golden Era

Statistical dominance aside, the duo were mainstays in Liverpool’s most successful era since the 1980s. Together, they won:

• 2 Premier League titles
• 1 Champions League
• 1 FA Cup
• 2 League Cups

With a 66% win rate when playing together, their impact was both quantifiable and unmistakable.

Where Do They Rank All-Time?

Full-back duos often go underappreciated in footballing folklore, but Alexander-Arnold and Robertson made their mark not only through creativity and consistency but also through silverware and longevity.

Some of football’s other great full-back pairings include:

• Cafu & Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
• Gary Neville & Denis Irwin (Manchester United)
• Ashley Cole & Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea)
• Philipp Lahm & David Alaba (Bayern Munich)

But few in Premier League history have matched the attacking threat and synchronicity of Liverpool’s long-serving wide defenders.

What’s Next for Liverpool’s Defence?

As Alexander-Arnold embarks on a new chapter in Madrid and Robertson’s Anfield future remains uncertain, Frimpong and Kerkez now face the challenge of stepping into their shoes. Whether they can replicate even a fraction of the legacy left behind remains to be seen.

One thing is certain: The Alexander-Arnold–Robertson era will go down as one of the most effective and influential full-back partnerships in modern football.