Slot Rues Missed Opportunity as Liverpool Drop Points

Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United, despite goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, leaving manager Arne Slot frustrated.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has come to the defense of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who faced scathing criticism from pundits after the team's 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday. The result felt like “two points lost” for the Premier League leaders. Alexander-Arnold, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, struggled to contain United's Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who left him chasing shadows for much of the game.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane was particularly harsh in his assessment of Alexander-Arnold's performance. “We talk about how brilliant Trent is going forward, but Trent's defending today, my goodness it's like schoolboy stuff,” Keane said on the Sky Sports broadcast. Keane's criticism did not stop there, as he questioned Alexander-Arnold's suitability for a top club like Real Madrid. “There's talk about him going to Real Madrid, the way he's defending he's going to Tranmere Rovers after this. He's got to do better,” Keane added.

"He's going to Tranmere Rovers after this" 💬

Roy Keane's honest opinion on Trent Alexander-Arnold's defending. pic.twitter.com/vE02Qmnqik

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 5, 2025

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was asked if Trent Alexander-Arnold's recent struggles were due to the ongoing chatter about his contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season. Slot dismissed this notion, saying: “I don't believe in those things. I think nine out of 10 people will tell you that it affected him, but I'm one of the 10 that tells you that I don't think that affected him.”

Slot instead attributed Alexander-Arnold's difficulties to the quality of the opposition he faced. “What affected him is that he had to play Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, two starters for Portugal, great, great, great players,” Slot explained. He also highlighted the strength of Manchester United's squad, noting: “We have a fantastic player here with Diogo Jota, and he's not even playing for Portugal. So that tells you how much quality United has.” Slot reiterated his disagreement with the popular opinion, saying: “Probably everybody's going to tell you that it had to do with the rumours. But my opinion is different.”

In a lighthearted response to Roy Keane's criticism, League Two side Tranmere Rovers took to social media platform X to post: “Trent to Tranmere, Roy? Nah, we're alright thanks.” The tongue-in-cheek comment poked fun at Keane's suggestion that Alexander-Arnold's defensive struggles might make him a better fit for Tranmere Rovers.

Liverpool remained top of the table with 46 points, six ahead of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand, despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United. Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scored for the Reds, but the result felt like a missed opportunity. Liverpool manager Arne Slot shared his thoughts on the draw, saying, “Of course, it feels for us as two points dropped.”

Slot drew parallels between the draw against Manchester United and Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in mid-September, their only defeat this season. “It was a difficult game, bit similar to maybe the Nottingham Forest game, where playing style of both teams were quite similar,” Slot explained. He highlighted the challenges of playing against teams that employ a defensive-minded approach. “Defending in the low block with a lot of bodies, and if they had the ball, not to risk to build up, but play it long. That is not always easy to play against that style of football, and that's what showed against Forest, and it showed again today as well.”