Poor Trent performance down to Manchester United’s quality and not due to distractions from the Real Madrid links, says Arne Slot.
Poor Trent Alexander-Arnold performance was not a result of the links surrounding the fullback’s potential move to Real Madrid.
According to sources, Alexander-Arnold is Madrid’s main defensive target after right-back Dani Carvajal sustained a long-term injury. He, along with teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, have contracts that expire at the end of the current campaign.
Alexander-Arnold is still “fully-committed” to Liverpool, Slot claimed prior to Sunday’s match against United. Despite this, the defender struggled against a determined United team at Anfield, with both of the visitors’ goals going down his wing.
However, Liverpool’s boss quickly refuted rumours that Alexander-Arnold has allowed the commotion surrounding his future to influence him, stating that United’s skill level was the reason the right-back had a tough afternoon.
“I don’t believe in those things,” Slot said in his post-match news conference. “I think nine out of 10 people will tell you that it affected him, but I’m one of the 10 that tells you I don’t think that affected him.
“What I think affected him was that he had to play Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot who are two starters for Portugal, great, great players. We have a fantastic player here in Diogo Jota and he’s not even playing for Portugal, so that tells you how much quality United have. And if these players set themselves to a game, and that is what United once in a while does, then it’s very difficult to play against them.
“I think it is more difficult for Trent to play against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot than it is the rumours that were there in the week. That’s my opinion, but everyone will probably tell you it’s to do with the rumours.”