Liverpool manager Arne Slot raved about Trent Alexander-Arnold after his stunning goal helped defeat Accrington Stanley in the third round of the FA Cup.
Alexander-Arnold, whose contract expired in the summer and who is a top transfer target for Real Madrid, was heavily criticized for his performance in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United, with many feeling that speculation over his would have affected his state of mind in the future.
But there were no such concerns for Alexander-Arnold against League Two Accrington, who fought bravely at Anfield before the Premier League leaders’ quality shone through.
Diogo Jota gave Liverpool the lead after a quick breakaway and the game was almost put to bed by Alexander-Arnold’s massive long-range goal just before half-time.
“I could talk about this goal for hours,” Slot said about Alexander-Arnold’s goal. “The biggest compliment Trent could have received was everyone’s reaction.” [on Saturday] after the Manchester United game.
“Every player around the world, except maybe a few, has a bad game and that is completely normal. But once Trent has one, everyone has an opinion about it.”
“Maybe that’s because of the contract situation. If that hadn’t been the case, I don’t know if people would have reacted the same way. A lot of them were pretty hard on him.”
“I think it was good for Trent to play in our own stadium and feel the welcome of the fans again,” Slot added. “It was special and can only help him and us.”
“If you want to do something special this season, you can do it together, not just with the players, the coach, but definitely with the fans.”
Real Madrid have already had an attempt by Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold rebuffed, with the Merseyside club still hoping their academy graduate will put pen to paper on a new long-term deal.
However, Alexander-Arnold has expressed a desire to win the Ballon d’Or, with the chances of winning this individual award usually being greater when playing for a more famous club such as Madrid, which in comparison has 15 European Cup/Champions League crowns has to his account Liverpool’s six.