By John Boston
Arne Slot, Andy Robertson, and Jamie Carragher have sprung to the defence of Trent Alexander-Arnold after the right-back was booed onto the pitch when he came on as a substitute during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
Alexander-Arnold, playing his first game since he announced he was leaving Anfield at the end of the season, was given a hostile reception from a large section of the home supporters when he replaced Conor Bradley in the 67th minute, and that continued for the remainder of the contest which saw the Reds squander a 2-0 half-time lead.
The 26-year-old, who is almost certain to join Real Madrid in the next month, looked visibly taken aback at the final whistle and had to be comforted by Luis Díaz.
The game had seen Liverpool score twice in 90 first-half seconds through Cody Gakpo and Díaz, but the visitors were much-improved after the break and strikes from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino earned the Gunners a deserved point.
The result, however, was almost totally overshadowed by Alexander-Arnold’s treatment by his own fans.
No regrets from Slot
Reds boss Slot, for his part, had no regrets about bringing the England international on.
He told reporters: “The thing I consider is I want to win a game of football and if we think we can win with Trent, I owe it to his teammates and to the fans, because they [Liverpool] hired me to win as many games of football as possible.
“And if I think there’s a better chance of winning with Trent, then I will [pick him]. If I think it’s a distraction or whatever can happen for us not to play a good game of football, then I might make another decision. But I think Trent showed today why I brought him in because he was very close with a few fantastic crosses for us to win the game.”
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Robertson ‘proud’ of Alexander-Arnold
Left-back Robertson was vocal in his support for his close friend.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s not nice to see a friend get booed, it wasn’t nice. But we can’t tell people how to act. I’m extremely proud of him. I love him as a player, I love him as a friend. He will be missed as one of my best friends in the game.”
Watching on from the Sky studio, Anfield legend Carragher also condemned the fans who booed Alexander-Arnold.
“Booing one of your own players while they are playing is not for me. That was a step too far”, he said. “That could’ve been his last performance, which might be the right thing as Liverpool don’t need a circus.”
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