Trent Alexander-Arnold faced a torrid time on his return to Liverpool in a Champions League clash with Real Madrid and he was given a hug by Arne Slot afterwards
Arne Slot saw Liverpool enjoy a fine victory over Real Madrid(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Arne Slot branded Trent Alexander-Arnold a “special human being” following an embrace with the former Liverpool star after his difficult homecoming at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold faced a chorus of boos when he entered as a late substitute for Real Madrid, with home fans jeering his every involvement. The Kop enthusiastically chanted Conor Bradley’s name after Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header secured a well-earned triumph for Arne Slot’s team.
The evening proved nightmarish for Alexander-Arnold, who struggled throughout his 14-minute cameo. This prompted Slot to console the 27-year-old Scouser with an embrace at full-time.
The Liverpool boss explained: “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.”
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However, Slot was equally eager to praise Conor Bradley, Alexander-Arnold’s replacement at right-back, reports the Mirror.
Slot explained: “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 sit level with Real Madrid in the Champions League table having collected nine points from their opening four fixtures.
(Image: Getty Images)
The result left Liverpool’s skipper thoroughly pleased.
Virgil van Dijk – positioned alongside Wayne Rooney, who recently criticised the Dutchman for lacking sufficient leadership qualities – appeared to take aim at the pundit whilst praising his side’s display.
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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