Arne Slot addresses Trent Alexander-Arnold’s feelings of frustration following Liverpool’s victory against Brentford.

Arne Slot, the Liverpool manager, has acknowledged Trent Alexander-Arnold’s frustration after the full back was substituted in the second half of their 2-0 victory over Brentford at Anfield. Alexander-Arnold appeared displeased when he was replaced by Conor Bradley with 18 minutes remaining, despite Mohamed Salah’s goal securing a comfortable lead for the hosts.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Slot addressed Alexander-Arnold’s reaction, stating, “He didn’t look that happy after being taken off? I can understand that. Every player wants to play 90 minutes, but I don’t think the players that were on the bench from the start were really happy with the choice I made.”

Slot emphasized the importance of Alexander-Arnold to his team and stressed the need to keep the defender fit throughout the season. He explained, “Trent came back from the national team. At the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot, then he didn’t, then had some time off. It’s only his third game, and we have to take care of him because we need him for the whole season, not only for the first two games.”

Despite the substitution, Slot praised Alexander-Arnold’s performance, stating, “He played a good game, that’s also what I saw.” The victory against Brentford marked Slot’s first win at Anfield and extended Liverpool’s perfect start to the season, with six points from their opening two games.

Slot highlighted the defensive performance of his team as one of the standout aspects of the match. He told Sky Sports, “Our defensive performance today was really good. We controlled the counter-attacks, we controlled them in their build-up. Apart from that, we created many good chances in the second half.”

Looking ahead, Slot acknowledged the upcoming challenge of facing Manchester United at Old Trafford next Sunday. He will be facing Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils, who will be eager to bounce back after their 2-1 defeat to Brighton.