Liverpool manager Arne Slot has no concerns over his decision to stick with Trent Alexander-Arnold despite receiving boos from his own fans during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
The right-back was criticised by a large section of the Anfield crowd when he came on as a substitute after confirming on Monday that he would not be extending his current contract with the newly crowned Premier League champions, which expires this summer.
Alexander-Arnold, expected to join Real Madrid, was the subject of loud jeers when he was introduced as a substitute in the 67th minute and this continued for most of his touches of the ball.
“I think my goal is to win football games, and if we think we can win with Trent in the lineup, then I owe it to my players and the fans because I was hired to win as many games as possible,” Slott said.
“And if I decide that Trent has a better chance of success, then I will choose him.”
“If I see that it is a distraction or could prevent us from playing quality football, I might make a different decision.
“But I think Trent showed today why I put him on because he came very close to winning the game with some great passes that helped us win.”
Alexander-Arnold looked shaken after the final whistle and teammate Luis Diaz tried to support him by hugging him.
Slot tried to interpret the situation with optimism, noting that the reaction was mixed, but the volume of the whistles indicated that it was not just a small number of people who had expressed their opinions.
“It's definitely hard for him,” the Dutchman noted.
“He was probably surprised by the reaction. It was clear that opinions were divided, not everyone was negative.
“When he was about to take the free kick, everyone was cheering for him to score a goal
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
