Arne Slot embraced Trent Alexander-Arnold after his return to a hostile Anfield with the ex-Liverpool star getting booed consistently as Real Madrid were beaten
Arne Slot shared a brief moment with Trent Alexander-Arnold at full-time
Arne Slot shared a brief moment with Trent Alexander-Arnold at full-time
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Arne Slot described Trent Alexander-Arnold as a “special human being” after giving him a consoling hug in the wake of the former Liverpool defender’s torrid Anfield reception.
Alexander-Arnold was booed loudly when he came on as a late substitute for Real Madrid and the home supporters jeered his every touch. And the Kop delightedly sang Conor Bradley’s name after Alexis Mac Allister’s second half header had given Arne Slot’s side a deserved victory.
It added up to a nightmare night for Alexander-Arnold, who barely put a foot right in his 14 minutes on the pitch. And it led to Slot embracing the 27-year-old scouser at the final whistle.
The Liverpool manager said: “He (Alexander-Arnold) lost so that is tough. I said something like ‘keep going’ to him. I honestly didn’t know exactly what I said to him. He has been special to this club, he has been special to me. And he is a special human being. So, for me to give him a hug is something I will do every single time I see him.”
But Slot was also quick to sing the praises of Conor Bradley, Alexander-Arnold’s successor at right-back.
Slot said: “I told the players that Real Madrid had scored 26 goals in La Liga and between them, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior have had 24 goal contributions. So, I said, if you want any chance of winning, you have to defend well against those two … and Conor Bradley did just that.”
Liverpool now move level with Real Madrid in the Champions League standings with nine points from four matches. And it was a result that delighted Liverpool’s skipper. Virgil van Dijk - standing next to Wayne Rooney, who has recently accused the Dutchman of not showing enough leadership - took a dig at the pundit and saluted his team’s performance.
Anfield booed Trent Alexander-Arnold's every touch once he was subbed on
Anfield booed Trent Alexander-Arnold's every touch once he was subbed on
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The Liverpool captain said: “Ex-players that played at the highest level had difficult moments as well. In a world of chaos, you have to stay calm and see the perspective of things. we had to be spot on in everything we did. I think we performed our game plan perfectly."
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