Liverpool manager Arne Slot has refused to blame Trent Alexander-Arnold for his side’s recent flurry of goals conceded.
The creative right-back’s defensive acumen was often questioned during his career, and a particularly difficult attack came in the Liverpool draw 2-2 with Manchester United last Sunday. It was Alexander-Arnold’s first appearance for Real Madrid submit your offer for opening buy an academy diploma this month.
The groove was quick to defend his player on the occasion, and doubled down on his insistence that Liverpool’s porous form is not Alexander-Arnold’s burden. The Reds conceded five goals in the first 12 games of the season (an average of 0.4 per game), but shipped 20 in the next 17 games (1.2 per game).
“I see a certain pattern in the goals we’re conceding, but I don’t see a pattern if it’s Trent,” Slott told the assembled media before Liverpool’s FA Cup tie with Accrington Stanley on Saturday. “Not at all.”
“Trent had one tough game for us and maybe a few good to good ones. Basically, he had great games when he played for us this season,” the Dutch coach pointed out.
“I know there’s a lot of focus on him at the moment, but I’d also like to highlight the focus on how well he did when he came on in the last half hour [against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday] and how our fans reacted to him. That’s what made me even more happy during that game.”
Alexander-Arnold fell to the bench for Liverpooltravels to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night in place of Conor Bradley. The English international was introduced for the last half hour of the Carabao Cup semi-final and hit a terrifying volley over debutant goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky that Radu Dragusin had to desperately clear from the goal line.
Liverpool rejected initial offers from Real Madrid and appear intent on keeping Alexander-Arnold at Anfield until at least the end of the season – when his contract expires.
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