Former Chelsea and Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson believes that Blues defender Reece James is superior to Reds counterpart Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The two full-backs have been in competition for a starting spot with England, with Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate appearing to favour the Chelsea man.
However, Alexander-Arnold’s 12 Premier League assists this term are only bettered by team-mate Mohamed Salah – and Johnson concedes that the Liverpool star is sharper in the final third.
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James Better Than Alexander-Arnold
Speaking exclusively to me, Lord Ping, he said: “It's tough because I think they're both fantastic.
“I think Trent is just about better on the ball and certainly has got a better delivery, but to be fair to Reece that sounds harsh because he's fantastic as well.
“I'd say Trent is better going forward and Reece James is better defensively, but all round, I'd have to say Reece James is better.”
FA Cup Final Showdown
The pair will meet at Wembley for the FA Cup final and Johnson feels it will be a close game, decided by how well Chelsea’s defenders cope with Liverpool’s forwards.
“Like most finals, I can imagine it being a bit cagey at the start, but they're two good teams,” he said.
“Liverpool are in a better position at the moment, but listen, in a final, they're both good enough to beat anyone – I'm expecting a tight game.
“For me, I'd say the game-changers for Liverpool will be Liverpool's front three and Fabinho, if he's fit enough to play.
“I think he has been brilliant for them, he does the ugly stuff as people call it, but he also breaks things up so quickly that teams can't gather any momentum.
“If [Sadio] Mane and Salah are firing as well then it'll be hard enough for any defence to stop them.
“I think the difference will definitely be between Liverpool's front three and Chelsea's back four.”
Liverpool’s Quadruple Chances
Liverpool have already won the League Cup and the FA Cup represents their next chance at silverware, as the Reds chase an unprecedented quadruple.
However, Johnson is expecting Jurgen Klopp’s men to fall short in at least one competition.
"Technically right now, the quadruple is possible but no, I can't imagine they'll do it,” he explained.
“It's so tough. To perform at that level in every competition is going to be so hard, especially when you have to pull back this Man City team [in the Premier League].
“I hope they can do it, it's still possible, but I think Liverpool will fall short in one of the competitions."
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