In a thrilling encounter between Liverpool and Manchester United, Arne Slot stood by his star player Trent Alexander-Arnold despite his below-par performance. The right-back was under intense scrutiny after a lackluster display against the Red Devils, which raised questions about his form and focus.
Alexander-Arnold, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, found himself outpaced and outmaneuvered by Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes throughout the match. The 26-year-old was also caught out of position for Lisandro Martinez’s early goal, adding to his woes on the day.
However, Slot refused to place the blame solely on Alexander-Arnold, pointing to the lack of support from midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and the skillful play of the United duo. The Liverpool manager acknowledged that it was a tough day at the office for his young defender but emphasized the quality of the opposition.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Slot defended Alexander-Arnold’s overall contribution to the team, saying, “Trent has played mostly very good games for this club. Today wasn’t his best game but that probably had to do with them [United] as well. Sometimes Ryan wasn’t close enough to him in the first half. I would put it more on the quality of Dalot and Fernandes.”
As speculation continues to swirl around Alexander-Arnold’s future at Liverpool, Slot’s public support for the player could help boost his confidence and performance in the upcoming matches. Despite the setback against Manchester United, Alexander-Arnold remains a key figure in Liverpool’s plans moving forward.
