RevSportz Comment
The last thing any professional footballer wants is to lose to his or her former club, especially if you had once been a cult hero there. Yet, that was the sobering reality for Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose Anfield return lasted less than 15 minutes and was played out to a cacophony of boos and jeers. His Real Madrid side were played off the park in a 1-0 defeat, with the scoreline kept respectable only by some stunning saves from Thibaut Courtois in Los Blancos’ goal.
The run-up to the game had seen Alexander-Arnold’s mural outside Anfield defaced, with a section of fans unwilling to forgive the defection of a one-time local hero. Worse still for the player, who was getting his first run-out after being injured mid-September, one of the stars of a commanding Liverpool display was the man who replaced him as right-back, Conor Bradley. The Northern Irishman defended so robustly that Vinicius Junior was reduced to pathetic dives to try and get something going for his team.
Liverpool have clearly struggled this season without Alexander-Arnold’s unique talents, especially the long and through balls that allowed Mo Salah to run at defenders. For the better part of half a decade, Liverpool teams were set up to accommodate his passing gifts and cover for his defensive frailties. Without him, Salah in particular had struggled to hit the ground running.
This, though, was a throwback to last season, and a much more coherent performance across the pitch. More importantly, it was a second successive clean sheet for a team that had been leaking goals all season. Even with Alexander Isak, their record signing, out injured, Liverpool carried plenty of threat. Hugo Ekitike held the ball up well and Florian Wirtz looked much more at ease than he had in previous league outings.
The outstanding performer was Dominic Szoboszlai, who might have had a hat-trick but for Courtois. Alexis Mac Allister, who scored the decisive goal after ghosting into space, also had a solid game after a poor start to the season.
Real, with Xabi Alonso cutting a frustrated figure on the sidelines, bossed possession (61 per cent) but managed only two shots on target to Liverpool’s nine. Kylian Mbappe had a first sight of goal in the 76th minute, and Jude Bellingham was similarly ineffective save for a shot from the left edge of the six-yard box late in the first half.
Liverpool face Manchester City away when English Premier League action resumes over the weekend. For Real, sitting pretty atop LaLiga, this was one more sobering wake-up call as they get used to a new coach and new style of play.
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