Trent Alexander-Arnold showed his real emotions seconds after emphatic England penalty

Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold was not brought onto the field for England until deep into extra time. But when his nation needed him to step up and score during the penalty shootout against Switzerland, he made no mistake.

With England ahead by a goal, Liverpool No.66 Alexander-Arnold fired a brilliant penalty into the corner, setting up a semi-final on Wednesday against either the Netherlands or Turkey. It was a huge pressure moment and the Reds man showed no signs of being nervous, at least until the spot kick had been dispatched.

As soon as the ball hit the back of the net, it bounced back to Alexander-Arnold. He picked it up and booted it up into the air, clearly elated and relieved to have scored when England needed him the most. It was as if all the frustration from the failed midfield experiments and being made a scapegoat escaped him.

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"Incredible," Alexander-Arnold said live on the BBC post-match. "These are the goals we set for ourselves. It was a difficult performance but the team showed a lot of spirit and dug deep when it mattered most. Whatever it takes, no matter what, we win. That's what matters.

"A lot of practice goes into that moment. They are moments I enjoy. When the gaffer tells me I'm taking one, my belly doesn't drop. I knew what spot and I knew I just needed to execute it. Jordan Pickford making the save at the start gives you the confidence. It was the finest of margins but we were able to win it."

England didn't play well again and Southgate's men were largely boring throughout the game; Switzerland could easily have won but the Three Lions were then the favorites during the shootout. It might not be enough to mean he starts the next England match, but Alexander-Arnold deserves to take plenty of plaudits.

Liverpool.com says: it's a big relief that Alexander-Arnold wasn't the man to scupper things for England. While he would never have been to blame given how poorly utilized he has been in Germany, we know how things can be when tournaments go wrong. It would have been particularly unfair had things unfolded differently for the Liverpool ace.