The World Cup underlined that, when it comes to the England national team, a consensus will probably never be reached regarding the value of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But it took less than five minutes back in a Liverpool shirt for the defender to demonstrate why he remains such a key figure for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
There was a sense of anticipation when, after Villa only half-cleared an Andy Robertson corner, the ball dropped to Alexander-Arnold in a central position some 35 yards from goal.
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Swiftly scanning the possibilities and choosing the right option in a split-second was one thing. But that the defender then had the aptitude and audacity to execute a pass with the outside of his right foot over the Villa backline into the path of Robertson was quite another, almost inviting the left-back, who had curled his run so he was onside, to then feed Mohamed Salah for a simple close-range finish to put Liverpool ahead here at Villa Park.
Alexander-Arnold was evidently keen on making up for lost time after several weeks largely spent shuffling his feet on the bench in Qatar, his display packed with forceful forward passing and dogged, diligent defending.
True, the second half saw a more rearguard action as Villa responded strongly immediately after half-time, and Alexander-Arnold was betrayed by his lack of minutes as he tired during the final quarter.
That pass, though, is what will be remembered from this game, a snapshot of the outrageous talent Liverpool will hope can help propel them back up into the Champions League qualification places.
On the other flank, Robertson continued the impressive form he had shown before the World Cup break, with his assist moving him ahead of former Everton left-back Leighton Baines as the defender to have laid on the most goals in the Premier League era. Defensively, too, the Scotland was solid, arguably the Reds’ best player on the evening.
The last time Liverpool played on Boxing Day three years ago, Alexander-Arnold capped a sumptuous performance with a goal in a 4-0 romp at Leicester City.
The Reds had just days earlier become world champions for the first time. And while the targets have this season changed, what hasn’t is the importance of the full-backs to Liverpool’s ambitions.
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