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Trent Alexander-Arnold was met with a chorus of boos from some Liverpool fans during the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, casting a shadow over what may have been his final appearance at Anfield in a Liverpool shirt.
Having announced his impending departure from the club on Monday, with a move to Real Madrid widely anticipated, the Merseyside-born right-back faced a divided Anfield crowd when he entered the game as a 67th-minute substitute. Despite pockets of applause, boos accompanied many of his touches, and the reaction stirred debate among teammates, pundits, and fans alike.
“It’s not nice to see a friend get booed, it wasn’t nice,” said Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson. “But as I said, we can’t tell people how to act. I can’t tell you how I feel about it, 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.”
Robertson, who had a goal disallowed late in stoppage time, spoke candidly about the impact Alexander-Arnold has had on his own career: “Disappointed to lose a good friend, he's an amazing player and an amazing person... He's took me to levels I never knew existed. It hasn't been an easy one for Trent but he has made the decision.”
Manager Arne Slot chose to leave Alexander-Arnold out of the starting lineup, instead giving the nod to 21-year-old Conor Bradley, who is seen as the natural successor in the position. Bradley received strong support from the crowd, whose chants marked a symbolic passing of the torch.
Slot was diplomatic in his post-match assessment of the crowd’s reaction, emphasizing the plurality of voices in the stands.
“There were people who were not so happy, there were people who were happy for him. They clapped for him. A few of them booed,” said Slot. “I will always back my players, the ones I lead and wear the red shirt.”
He added: “I said to everyone that asked me that question that it is a privilege to live in Europe where everybody can have his own opinion and everybody can express his own opinion. That is something that we saw today as well. A few of them were not happy with him. I think all of them were not happy with him leaving the club, but a few of them showed it in a way that they booed him and a few of them clapped... As it went onwards, the moment he had to take a free kick, everybody was cheering for him to score and he was close.”
Slot also emphasized that footballing decisions would remain performance-based: “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.”
Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher expressed dismay at the treatment of 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.”
Carragher continued: “That’s the story of the game. That’s what we will be talking about after the game, and the back pages of every newspaper tomorrow. I’m surprised how many. When you’re in a crowd of 60,000, there’s no doubt there’s a lot of unhappy people at Liverpool about the situation, and I’ve said that’s understandable. But for me, I don’t believe that any player putting that red shirt on, going out to play for the club and trying to win them points or win them trophies should be booed.”
Despite the emotionally charged atmosphere, Slot maintained that Alexander-Arnold may yet feature in Liverpool’s final two fixtures of the season, against Brighton and Crystal Palace. Whether he returns to Anfield for a celebratory farewell or watches from the sidelines, the reception he received this past weekend will linger long in memory—for better or worse.
Feature Image Credit: Pexels / Tembela Bohle, Instagram / @liverpoolfc
