Chris Sutton protects ‘brilliant’ Liverpool star after Manchester United draw
Chris Sutton has defended Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold following their 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
The 26-year-old found himself under the spotlight after the game, with many questioning his focus amid Real Madrid’s concrete transfer interest in January.
He was guilty of giving the ball away for United’s opener while their equaliser also came from a cross on his side as he experienced a hugely difficult afternoon on Sunday at Anfield.
Goals from both Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo denied Liverpool their fifth win in a row in all competitions but they remain top of the Premier League ahead of Arsenal by six points. Their title rivals were unable to hold onto their lead against Brighton and they still have one game in hand on Mikel Arteta’s side.
However, Alexander-Arnold came under fire from the likes of Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane on the television coverage, with the latter claiming his defending would only be able to get him a move to Tranmere Rovers as opposed to Madrid due to his struggles during the game.
Amid the scrutiny, Sutton has since defended Alexander-Arnold, claiming the current discourse feels like is unfair to the England international. “Where has this pile-on for Trent [Alexander-Arnold] come from?” quipped Sutton via the BBC.
“Trent has been brilliant in a Liverpool jersey and all of a sudden, you want him out the door. Blimey.”
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, he currently runs the risk of leaving his boyhood club for free, alongside Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. There are even reports that Madrid could test the waters with a bid in the January window to ensure Liverpool don’t lose him for nothing in six months.
However, it looks highly unlikely he would be allowed to leave during the season as Arne Slot’s side look to target success in the league, Champions League and both domestic cups, with only Conor Bradley in reserve.
Against United, he was guilty of losing possession 27 times, committing two fouls and failing to complete any of his six attempted crosses in what was an uncharacteristically poor performance. Plus, Diogo Dalot, who was playing out of position on the left-hand side enjoyed plenty of success against him while United looked to target Alexander-Arnold.
Both Andy Robertson and Alexander-Arnold experienced two of their worst performances in a Liverpool shirt which left Van Dijk visibly seething, as he screamed at his full-backs on multiple occasions for leaving him exposed.
