Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Reece James – What Do The Stats Say?
How do the Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC stars compare over the last few years? We take a close look at the numbers to find out
They both play for England and are two of the top full-backs in the Premier League – but what do the numbers say about Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James?
In this article, we’re going to take a detailed look at the recent history of both Liverpool FC star Alexander-Arnold and Chelsea FC defender James to see who comes out on top.
We’re going to be paying particularly close attention to any major similarities and differences in the figures from the pair as we provide an overall picture as to how they have performed in recent seasons.
Whether you’re looking to select one of the two players for your fantasy football team or are simply intrigued about how the pair’s numbers compare, this article will bring you everything you need to know.
Recent History And Introduction
Trent Alexander-Arnold has become one of the mainstays in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool FC team in recent seasons and has been a large part of the Reds’ success under their German head coach.
A product of the Liverpool FC youth system, Alexander-Arnold made his first-team debut for the Merseyside club back in 2016 and earned a regular spot in the starting line-up from the 2017-18 campaign and beyond.
Known for his impressive set-piece and crossing ability, Alexander-Arnold is also a seasoned England international, having made his first appearance for the Three Lions back in 2018.
Reece James came through the Chelsea FC academy and after a spell on loan to Wigan Athletic in 2018-19, he broke into the first team under former manager Frank Lampard in the 2019-20 campaign.
He has been a regular fixture in the Blues’ team since then and has earned plenty of admirers thanks to his impressive ability at both ends of the pitch.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo: @trentarnold66 / Instagram)
James, who can operate as both a wing-back and a full-back, made his first senior appearance for the England team in the autumn of 2020.
Alexander-Arnold vs James – Recent League Form
Let’s now take a look at what the numbers say about Alexander-Arnold and James’ recent form in the Premier League for their clubs.
In the 2019-20 season, Alexander-Arnold products some impressive figures as he helped Liverpool FC to win the Premier League title for the first time in the club’s history. That season, he started 35 of Liverpool FC’s 38 top-flight games and scored four goals, notching up 13 assists for his team-mates.
In the same campaign, James made inroads into the Chelsea FC team, starting 16 of the Blues’ Premier League games under Frank Lampard and making two assists for his team-mates from a total of 24 appearances in the league.
In the 2020-21 campaign, Alexander-Arnold was once again a regular fixture in the Reds side, starting 34 of Liverpool FC’s 38 Premier League games, scoring two goals and making seven assists.
For James, the 2020-21 season was something of a breakthrough, with the full-back making 32 league appearances (25 starts), scoring one goal and making two assists in the English top flight.
Most recently, in the 2021-22 season, Alexander Arnold scored two goals and made 12 assists in 32 Premier League starts for the Merseyside outfit. In the same campaign, James scored five goals and made nine assists in a total of 26 Premier League games, 22 of which he started.
So, overall Alexander-Arnold has the edge in recent seasons, although James has been featuring more regularly lately and enjoyed his most fruitful campaign to date in 2021-22.
Reece James (Photo: Nike)
What About In Europe?
Both players have plenty of European experience under their belts – with both having one Champions League title to their names.
In the 2018-19 season, Alexander Arnold made three assists in 11 games in the Champions League to help Liverpool FC to win the title, with the Reds beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
James made his first appearances for Chelsea FC in Europe’s elite club competition in the 2019-20 campaign, when he scored one goal in six appearances in the Champions League. In the 2019-20 season, Alexander-Arnold made one assist in seven Champions League games.
In 2020-21, Alexander-Arnold notched up two assists in eight Champions League games. That season, James made one assist in 10 appearances to help Chelsea FC to win Europe’s elite club competition, with the south west Londoners triumphing over Manchester City in the final.
In the 2021-22 campaign, Alexander-Arnold made three assists in nine Champions League games to help Liverpool FC reach the final, where they ended up losing to Real Madrid. That season, James scored one goal in six Champions League outings.
Both players have displayed fairly similar numbers in Europe, with both James and Alexander-Arnold having won the Champions League with their clubs in recent seasons.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo: BT Sport / YouTube)
Alexander-Arnold vs James – Head To Head In Front Of Goal
Let’s now take a look at what the numbers say about both players in front of goal over the last few years. The numbers below show the total number of club goals scored and assists made per season in all competitions.
• 2019-20 season:
Alexander-Arnold – 4 goals and 14 assists
James – 2 goals and 2 assists
• 2020-21 season:
Alexander-Arnold – 2 goals and 9 assists
James – 1 goal and 3 assists
• 2021-22 season:
Alexander-Arnold – 2 goals and 17 assists
James – 6 goals and 10 assists
• Total:
Alexander-Arnold – 8 goals and 40 assists
James – 9 goals and 15 assists
So, Alexander-Arnold clearly leads the way in terms of his numbers in front of goal over the last few seasons, notching up more than twice the number of assists. That being said, James has scored more regularly for Chelsea FC over the last three seasons.
What About Their International Form?
Both players are England internationals. Alexander-Arnold made his debut for England in June 2018 and at the time of writing, he had scored one goal in 17 games for the Three Lions.
James’ senior international debut came in October 2020, and the full-back had notched up 13 appearances for the England (at time at the time of writing) since then.
Reece James (Photo: @reecejames / Instagram)
What Club Trophies Have They Won?
Alexander-Arnold is the more successful of the two players in terms of trophies won. The Liverpool FC star has every major trophy on offer in England once with the Reds, plus the Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup.
James is yet to taste Premier League glory with Chelsea FC, having won the Champions League and Uefa Super Cup with Chelsea FC so far. He has also been a runner-up in three FA Cup finals with Chelsea FC.
How Old Are Alexander-Arnold and James?
The pair are of a similar age, with Alexander Arnold being about a year older than James.
Alexander-Arnold was born on 7 October 1998 in Liverpool and is currently 23 years old. James, meanwhile, was born on 8 December 1999 in London and is currently 22 years old.
How Tall Are Alexander-Arnold and James?
Both are of a similar stature, although James is the slightly taller of the two players, standing at 179cm (5ft 10ins). Alexander-Arnold is 175cm tall (5ft 9ins).
Alexander-Arnold vs James – In Conclusion
So, that brings us to the end of our comparison article about Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James.
Both players boast impressive numbers have have made strong inroads into their clubs’ first-teams over the last few years.
Alexander-Arnold boasts the slightly more impressive numbers overall, but James has shown plenty of promise in recent campaigns and looks set to continue to impress.
