There were some magnificent displays for Liverpool in their 6-3 win over Tottenham on Sunday, but it was Trent Alexander-Arnold's superb cross to Luis Diaz that set Arne Slott's Premier League leaders on their way to this emphatic result.
“The cross is something else,” said Gary Neville on co-commentary for Sky Sports. “It's precision. There are very few players in the history of the Premier League who can do that for a sixpence, with that level of precision, speed and whip. It's absolutely perfect.”
Alexander-Arnold's passing was a feature of the match and his four successful balls from open play were the most he has ever made in a Premier League game. In fact, it's been two-and-a-half years since he last did it – also against Spurs, as it happens.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Tottenham v Liverpool
But it's the wider passing range that makes Alexander-Arnold such a rare talent. Much has been made of the control Slott has tried to introduce at Liverpool, but their right-back remains out of sorts, often looking for those riskier but more rewarding passes.
He has completed the most progressive passes of any player in the Premier League this season – 205 – and his average passing distance is 19.1 metres, which is longer than any other Liverpool player on the pitch. His first thought is how to hurt the opposition.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's passes often break the back line of Liverpool's opponents
This is clear from the number of passes he made breaking through the back line. Alexander-Arnold is averaging 11.5 such passes per 90 minutes this season, second only to Kevin De Bruyne. But the Liverpool man manages it from deeper areas.
Against Tottenham, seven of his passes went around six or more opponents. It's been over a year since he did that in a Premier League game, but it's an indication of his ability to break through the team. There is certainly no more spectacular passer of the ball in the country.
Rogers' dribble against Man City
“He exploded last season and this season. I think he really is a top player. England have another outstanding player.” That was Pep Guardiola's verdict after being fouled by Morgan Rogers in Manchester City's 2-1 defeat away to Aston Villa on Saturday.
It was perhaps the most impressive performance this reporter has seen in the flesh all season, bullying the reigning champions with his strength, running away from them with his speed and punishing them with his skill. He was outstanding against his old club.
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FREE TO WATCH: Aston Villa vs Manchester City highlights
He set up Jhon Duran's opener and then I scored the second. He has five goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, but that only hints at his role under Unai Emery.
Rogers, 22, ranks among the top 10 players in the Premier League for dribbles and crosses, but what is particularly interesting is his outsize importance to Emery against what could be considered his toughest opposition.
He made five dribbles against City and did the same against Arsenal. Rogers hasn't done it more than twice in any of his appearances this season against teams outside of the top two last season. Villa use it to raise the pitch in these games.
“We had to bond,” Emery explained later. “He really did a fantastic job in this situation. One of the qualities he showed was his drives. He made a fantastic drive, he broke the lines and we were able to pass him. And he scored a fantastic goal.”
There have been some suggestions that Rogers has looked tired at times this season and that would be understandable. It was the first time in a month that he had played at the weekend without also appearing for Villa in a midweek game.
Interestingly, four of Rogers' five Premier League goals this season have come in games in which he has not played a game the previous midweek. When he's full of energy, there's simply no stopping him – Guardiola and Manchester City learned.
Leicester's opposite goalkeepers
If Mads Hermansen's importance to Leicester City was still in doubt, the goalkeeper's absence against Wolves underlined it as Danny Ward came under fire from the home support as the Foxes were beaten 3-0 at the King Power Stadium.
According to Opta, none of the three goals were attributed to him at fault – James Justin was more obviously at fault for the second – but it was tempting to think that the hugely impressive Hermansen could have prevented every goal for Wolves.
The boos for Ward were rude but reflect the fans' frustration and the stats back up the eye test. In Hermansen, Leicester have a goalkeeper who has prevented the most goals of anyone in the Premier League this season – a total of 6.44.
Mads Hermansen has kept more goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper
Hermansen has faced the second highest number of shots in the Premier League this season
That's partly because he's faced the second highest number of shots among goalkeepers in the competition, which in itself shows just how precariously placed Leicester are. With almost anyone else there, they would surely be sitting in the relegation zone already.
If Hermansen is out for a while, there is a fear that this is where he will end up. And Leicester has been here before. The position was an issue in their 2022/23 relegation campaign, with Ward and Daniel Iversen struggling throughout that campaign.
Ward's record that season highlights the contrast. While Hermansen is helping prevent 0.42 goals per 90 minutes this season, Ward ranks bottom among Premier League goalkeepers over the past three years – costing 0.28 goals per 90.
On average, that suggests the difference between the two could be two goals every three games. No wonder Leicester will be eagerly awaiting his return. Defeat against Wolves was a bit of an unwelcome taste of how things could go without him.