Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has defended Trent Alexander-Arnold amid recent pushback from the media over his performance in Sunday’s Premier League match against Manchester United, Afrosport reports.
The England full-back was constantly exposed on United’s left flank where both of their goals came from through Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo.
This led to criticism of Alexander-Arnold and his defensive awareness with some pundits questioning if he would be a good fit for Real Madrid who have been heavily linked with him as six months remain on his contract at Anfield.
Slot backed the academy graduate, citing his performance against United as a one-off.
“Trent didn’t play his best game, I’ve said it already, but that’s not for the first time in his life he didn’t play the best game of his career. He has played so, so, so many games well for this club,” Slot said ahead of Liverpool’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg tie with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
“Now it wasn’t his best – like for some others, it wasn’t the best game for some others as well. We just pick it up and start training again, because these players know if you play 50, 60 games in a season, once in a while you don’t have your best performance.”
Slot went on to reveal that he has spoken to Alexander-Arnold about his performance, showing him how he can improve.
“In this situation it wasn’t his best game, so there were things I had to show which he has to improve,” the Dutch tactician added.
“That’s what you always do after every game. Sometimes you show how well they did, mostly when it comes to work-rate – you don’t have to show a brilliant 80-yard pass because that they know. Sometimes you have to show them what they can improve, but I did not only do this with Trent.”
Next up, our #CarabaoCup semi-final first leg ✊ pic.twitter.com/ZrwbFI7xcF
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 6, 2025
Liverpool will be gunning to win back-to-back EFL Cup titles having beaten Chelsea 1-0 after extra time in last season’s final.
