Trent Alexander-Arnold previously claiming the trophies he won with Liverpool meant more than Man City's own honours during the same period
Erling Haaland and Trent Alexander-Arnold lift the Premier League trophy after winning the English top-flight with Man City and Liverpool
Erling Haaland and Trent Alexander-Arnold lift the Premier League trophy after winning the English top-flight with Man City and Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
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When Trent Alexander-Arnold opted to see out his contract at Liverpool and leave for Real Madrid, previous words from the departing Reds vice-captain were used against him.
The England international had always been vocal about how much it meant to him to play for his boyhood club and how he dreamt of emulating his hero, Steven Gerrard, and becoming Liverpool captain one day.
But somewhere along the way, while winning every major honour with the Reds along the way, the 27-year-old’s dreams changed. He infamously claimed he would rather win the Ballon d’Or than become a future Liverpool captain or win another Champions League title.
And while he had previously insisted winning trophies with the Reds meant more, that did not stop him from wanting to prove himself at Real Madrid over signing an extension at Anfield.
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Fair enough, that is entirely his prerogative. He might have received backlash from Liverpool supporters, but you only get one career. And it is Alexander-Arnold’s career.
But his comments about trophies meaning more with Liverpool now carry extra weight after Man City were found guilty of 114 charges for breaching Premier League financial regulations and failing to co-operate with the investigation.
Alexander-Arnold made his Reds debut in October 2016, and went on to make 354 appearances during his nine years in the Liverpool first team.
The majority of them came under Jurgen Klopp, as the defender won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the European Super Cup.
He was also a member of the Liverpool side that lost two Premier League titles to Man City by a solitary point despite accumulating over 90 points themselves.
His time in the Reds side coincided with the end of the period in which Man City were found guilty of breaching regulations, between 2009 and 2018, as well as their subsequent next-level dominance under Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool were their main rivals at the top of the English game throughout this period. But while they lifted eight trophies under Klopp and Arne Slot over the past eight years, it falls significantly short of City’s total of 15 in the years after the period under investigation.
Alexander-Arnold acknowledged that the Reds had not won as much as City in an interview with FourFourTwo in March 2024.
“It’s tough. We’re up against a machine that’s built to win,” he said. “That’s the simplest way to describe City and their organisation.
“Looking back on this era, although they’ve won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs, financially.
“How both clubs have built their teams and the manner in which we’ve done it, probably means more to our fans.”
Erling Haaland would later bite back at the then-Liverpool star saying the defender did not know what it felt like to win the treble.
"If he wants to say that, OK. I've been here one year and I won the treble and it was quite a nice feeling,” Haaland told Sky Sports. “I don't think he knows exactly this feeling.
“So yeah, that is what I felt last season and it was quite nice. They can talk as much as they want, or he can talk as much as he wants. I don't know why he does that, but I do not mind."
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But a penny for Haaland’s thoughts now following the verdict of an independent commission - even if City continue to maintain their innocence.
While the past eight years might not have been the subject of the investigation, City certainly benefitted as a result of the financial breaches, the honours won and the players signed in the years that have followed.
Regardless of what happens next, following the verdict there is a big asterisk next to all of the club’s honours won since 2009 - including Haaland’s treble, subsequent second Premier League title and FA Cup, and triumphs in the League Cup and European Super Cup.
Alexander-Arnold did not appear to be alluding to the allegations against Man City when making his claim back in 2024.
But over two and a half years later and his comments definitely carry an extra meaning.
With a guilty verdict now in, the former Liverpool vice-captain was right. He might not have won as much as his counterparts at the Etihad.
But given everything we now know, the prizes he lifted certainly meant more.
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