Trent Alexander-Arnold notched his first goal of the season on Thursday evening during Liverpool's 3-1 win over Spurs.

The dynamism, pinpoint crossing and tireless energy provided by Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a constant feature for the Reds in recent seasons, but there has been a distinct absence of quality from the 22-year-old in the current campaign. 

It's a blip in form that has been well documented, and in some cases ridiculed, but few have doubted that his downturn is merely symptomatic of a team-wide struggle rather than an exposé of his mediocrity. 

Alexander-Arnold, like most of Liverpool's outfield players, was back close to his best on Thursday night and capped an eye-catching display with a clinical finish just after the second half got underway. 

There was an aura of confidence about the 22-year-old that has been ominously absent in recent months, and the instinctive link-up play with the forward line that has underpinned his progress was back on display once more. 

Rather unsurprisingly, the performance earned him esteemed praise from fans and pundits alike, including BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty. 

In his post-match analysis piece, McNulty reserved special praise for Alexander-Arnold and labelled his outing as the best of his season so far, per BBC.

'It was a fitting reward for Alexander-Arnold's finest display this season.

'He has struggled at times after spells out with injury but here, rather like Liverpool themselves, he was right back to his best, giving Klopp's side the extra attacking dimension they have lacked during his recent downturn in form, as well as his natural defensive ability.'

GIVEMESPORT's Jack Saville says...

There have been visible signs of frustration plastered all over Alexander-Arnold's face this season.

The patterns of play that were so intuitive during his auspicious breakthrough into the senior squad have not been as easy to come by, and he's cut a dispirited figure on the substitutes bench on the handful of occasions when Jurgen Klopp has hooked him off this season.

It was refreshing to see the Alexander-Arnold, who has provided five assists this season, of old back in full flow on Thursday and his emphatic second-half strike provided a timely confidence boost ahead of Liverpool's potentially season-defining encounter with Manchester City in nine days time. 

As McNulty says, Liverpool's star right-back was back to his best for the first time in a long while.