15 hours ago
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Arne Slot insisted he would not take Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the firing line in Liverpool’s final two games of the season despite the defender’s brutal reception at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold was booed before, during and after his substitute appearance against Arsenal having announced he will leave Liverpool on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season. Arsenal completed their recovery from two goals down to equalise through Mikel Merino seconds after Alexander-Arnold was booed while playing the ball.
Slot claimed the introduction of the Real Madrid-bound defender was not a distraction and praised the 26-year-old for almost helping Liverpool win the game. He also said Alexander-Arnold will be involved when Liverpool next appear at Anfield against Crystal Palace, when they will be presented with the Premier League trophy.
“I don’t think there’s any possibility of anything taking the edge off us winning this 20th league title,” said the Liverpool head coach. “The thing I have to consider is I want to win a game of football and, if I think we can win with Trent, I owe it to his teammates and to the fans [to play him] because the club 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 for us not to play a good game of football, then I might, might, 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 helping us win the game.”
Slot refused to criticise those Liverpool fans who booed the homegrown talent, although several of Alexander-Arnold’s teammates did not hide their displeasure with his treatment. “It is a privilege to live in Europe where everyone can have his own opinion and express their own opinion and that is what we saw today,” he said.
“All of them are not happy with him leaving the club but a few of them showed it in a way that they booed him and some of them clapped. I didn’t feel there was any distraction, that’s something I have to give him credit for and also the team credit for. The last 15-20 minutes were the best of the second half but that wasn’t that difficult after the first 20 minutes.”
Arsenal’s comeback leaves them requiring one point to secure Champions League qualification but Mikel Arteta was furious at their first-half display and the need for a reaction at all. The Arsenal manager said: “Parts of the first half were unacceptable, especially the defending standards and the errors after we gave the ball away, which is totally prohibited against this team. We were very far off it. I was really upset. Yes we had a reaction but I hate reaction, I like action.
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“I think the reaction makes it worse. We can come back from 2-0 at Anfield and maybe should have won it, and at the end maybe lose it with something that was in our hands. And having to play for the sixth time this season with 10 men. I am disappointed.”
