Trent Alexander-Arnold was drowned in drizzle on a tough afternoon for Liverpool (Image: Getty)
must have thought his torturous night was over when brought him off against .
The man had struggled through 86 minutes and been toyed with by – a full-back filling in on his weaker side. His errant pass and slack defending played a part in United’s first goal, and the vast majority of the visitors’ joy came down his right flank.
Not only was Alexander-Arnold forced to shoulder the embarrassment of playing poorly and being substituted before full-time, he was also dealt a third painful blow when his replacement, Conor Bradley, upstaged him in a matter of seconds.
United posed an attacking threat at Anfield and there was plenty of work for Alexander-Arnold to do if he was up to the challenge. But he left the field after nearly an hour and a half without making a single successful tackle.
Alexander-Arnold may not have even taken his seat on the bench by the time Bradley managed to do just that, with the 21-year-old winning a duel less than a minute after coming on.
A poor display from Alexander-Arnold and an exciting cameo from Bradley raises fresh questions around ‘s right-back dilemma. Alexander-Arnold is one of the best attacking players in his position the has ever seen, but the Reds will need to commit to massive wages if he is to extend his contract, which expires in June.
Conor Bradley made a tackle moments after coming on for Trent Alexander-Arnold (Image: Getty)
And that’s assuming the academy product will not be tempted by a move to Real Madrid in any case, with the La Liga giants recently seeing a transfer bid rejected.
Despite Alexander-Arnold’s incredible right foot and long list of achievements on Merseyside, some feel that Bradley is ready to step into his shoes. And United’s trip to Anfield will only have helped the young Northern Irishman’s case.
Bradley is still only 21 years old, but the quality of his performances suggests he will not wait around much longer to get regular first-team football.
The youngster has only started one game in the this season and one in the Champions League. Two have come in the Carabao Cup, and it remains to be seen whether Slot will give him a huge chance to shine in the first leg of their semi-final at on Wednesday night.
It may be wise to take Alexander-Arnold out of the firing line after such a tricky night. As legend Jamie Carragher put it on Sky Sports co-commentary duties: “He’d better hope Real Madrid aren’t watching this.”