‘I was protecting him’ – Arne Slot explains why fuming Trent Alexander-Arnold was substituted

Alexander-Arnold continued to look disgruntled alongside a jovial Diogo Jota after the match

Liverpool manager Arne Slot had to calm down vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold after the full-back showed his discontent for being substituted during his side’s 2-0 victory over Brentford.
Slot said he understood why his right back was frustrated after being replaced for Conor Bradley, but said he was protecting his star player after a demanding summer representing England at the European Championship.
“I understand,” said Slot. “Every player wants to play 90 minutes but I don’t think the players who were on the bench from the start were really happy with the choice I made.
“Trent came back from the national team where at the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot and then he didn’t. He had a few weeks off and then came back. It’s only his third game and we have to take care of him as well because we need him for the whole season and not only the first two games.
“What a good thing for me is that I have a very good backup with Conor [Bradley] as well. We are taking care of Trent, but he played a good game.”
Liverpool’s new coach was captured by television holding an animated conversation with Alexander-Arnold while the team were easing through the closing stages of his first competitive Anfield win.
The timing of such a public disagreement, albeit minor, comes with the 25-year-old in the midst of negotiations around his future. He is in the final year of his Liverpool contract, so naturally any suggestion of him being in a sour mood is the subject of close analysis.
The contract situation of Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk is the only shadow over an otherwise positive start for Liverpool’s new coach.
Van Dijk reiterated post-match there is ‘no change’ in his situation as he is one of the trio who could leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
“I’m very calm,” said Van Dijk. “The thing is, you know. I want to play the best season I can again. I want to be important and stay important for the club. And this year, whatever happens next year, I will see, you know, anything happen for a reason. That’s how I see it. And for now, there’s been no changes in my situation, but I’m very calm about it, and there’s no reason for me to start thinking for something else, because I have a whole season to play for still, and hopefully it will be a successful one.
“I’m not playing football to lose or not become successful. I want to win and in every competition that we are competing in, I want to go as far as possible and win it. And obviously, we know how difficult that is. But playing for a club like Liverpool, one of the best, if not the best football club in the world, you have these expectations. You see the fans, you see the fan base around the world. You know, it’s amazing to be, to be wearing a shirt, and for me personally, you know, being the captain of the club as well.”
For Slot, chalking up a successive Premier League victory with another clean sheet and goals from Luis Diaz and Salah continued his Anfield honeymoon.
“The reception from the fans was similar to the reception I got from all the people in and around the AXA and the people who work for Liverpool,” said Slot.
“I can’t speak for all the managers but I think all of them would tell you the same, every manager who comes in here feels the warmth of this club, the appreciation of the fans, and the most important thing we as managers have to do is make the team play in the style the team likes to see. That’s what we are trying and the boys showed that today and the fans showed appreciation of that.”