Arne Slot remained calm despite Trent Alexander-Arnold’s visible frustration with being substituted during Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Brentford.
Slot, who otherwise had a successful debut as manager, conversed with a clearly disheartened Alexander-Arnold on the sidelines after the England defender was replaced by Conor Bradley in the 72nd minute. This substitution followed Mohamed Salah’s second goal, which came after Luis Diaz had scored earlier. Slot refuted any claims of discord with Alexander-Arnold, who had also represented England at Euro 2024.
“He wasn’t pleased about being taken off, which I can understand,” Slot remarked. “Every player wants to play the full game, but I doubt the substitutes were thrilled with my decision either.
“Trent has recently returned from international duty, where he had limited playtime towards the end of the tournament and had a few weeks off. This was only his third game back. We need to manage his fitness for the entire season, not just the early matches. Fortunately, I have reliable backup in Conor, which allows us to manage Trent’s workload. He performed well.”
Diaz scored early in the game, and Salah netted his second goal in as many weeks in the 70th minute, having also scored in the season opener against Ipswich.
While Slot was pleased with the two wins and clean sheets, he acknowledged that more challenging games are ahead, starting with a match against Manchester United next weekend.
“Two solid victories against tough teams,” Slot commented. “However, there’s still much to prove as the season progresses. Ipswich and Brentford played well against us, but I don’t expect them to finish in the top six.”
Slot received a warm reception at Anfield, with Liverpool owner John W. Henry attending from the United States. Unlike Jurgen Klopp’s usual gestures, Slot opted to wave and clap towards the fans after the final whistle.
“The fans’ reception was as warm as the welcome I received from those connected with Liverpool,” Slot said. “While I can’t speak for all managers, I believe they would agree that every new manager feels the club’s warmth and fan appreciation. Our primary goal is to ensure the team plays in a way that pleases the fans, and the players demonstrated that.”