Reporter in Anfield press box reveals Liverpool fan’s foul-mouthed comment at Trent Alexander-Arnold and it speaks volumes
Lisandro Martinez gave Manchester United the lead with a powerful strike shortly after halftime, but Alexander-Arnold had a forgettable performance. He lost possession cheaply in the buildup and was slow to recover when Bruno Fernandes passed to Martinez for the goal.
This poor performance came just days after Real Madrid reportedly had a £20 million offer for him turned down. Alexander-Arnold played far below his usual standard, and United targeted his side throughout the match.
In the 86th minute, Conor Bradley replaced Alexander-Arnold, just after he had been shown a yellow card.
Amid growing speculation about his future, some Liverpool fans have begun to turn against the England international. Merseyside football reporter Lewis Steele from the Daily Mail shared that one fan near the press box shouted, “If you don’t wanna be here Trent, after United’s first goal. Another fan claimed Alexander-Arnold was told to out of here” and remarked that the 26-year-old appeared to be a “troubled soul” on the bench after being substituted.
His performance and ongoing contract situation were the main topics of discussion on Sky Sports after the match. Jamie Carragher, Daniel Sturridge, and Gary Neville engaged in a heated debate, while Roy Keane suggested that Alexander-Arnold should consider moving to the 15-time European champions.
The panel also explored whether the recent Real Madrid rumors had impacted Alexander-Arnold’s performance.
However, Arne Slot rejected the idea that Alexander-Arnold’s mentality was an issue. He acknowledged it wasn’t his “best game” but defended his performance, noting that the combination of Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot posed a significant challenge on his side of the pitch.
Slot came to Alexander-Arnold’s defense, stating, “Trent has generally played very well for this club. There may have been some games where he wasn’t at his best, and today wasn’t his best, but that likely had to do with them, too.”
He added, “Especially in the first half, Ryan wasn’t always close enough to him, leaving him in a two-on-one situation at times. I’d credit Dalot and Bruno Fernandes’ performance more than blame Trent.”
Liverpool will return to action on Wednesday for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Spurs, followed by an FA Cup match against Accrington Stanley on Sunday.