Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed that Liverpool manager Arne Slot was the angriest he’s ever seen him during the half-time interval of the Reds’ 3-1 victory over Southampton. Liverpool trailed at the break after a lackluster first-half performance, but goals from Mohamed Salah (two) and Darwin Núñez turned the game around in the second half, ensuring Liverpool maintained their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Salah shared post-match how Slot’s fiery team talk inspired the comeback, and Alexander-Arnold echoed the sentiment, admitting the Dutchman’s frustration was justified. "Probably the most [angry] we’ve seen him so far," the Liverpool right-back told LFCTV. "It’s a good thing he hasn’t been too animated until now, but he was rightfully angry. We deserved to be down at half-time, but we came out in the second half with a point to prove and did that early on."
Alexander-Arnold acknowledged that while consistency is the aim, not every game will meet expectations. "As a team and as individuals, you’d like to perform well every game, but that’s not always possible. There will be days like this where you’re not proud of the performance, but the most important thing is we got the three points."
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s captain, also expressed his understanding of Slot’s anger. When asked if it was the angriest he’d ever seen the manager, Van Dijk replied: "Yes, but given the first-half performance, he had every right to be angry. From his perspective, it was even more frustrating to watch. We turned it around in the second half, though, and that’s what he wanted. Now we move on."
Van Dijk emphasized that the players were equally dissatisfied with their first-half display. "No one was happy with the first half. We’re all human, and we didn’t intend to play like that, but unfortunately, it happened. The important thing is we managed to turn it around. That’s football."
The win keeps Liverpool firmly in control of the Premier League title race, and the players will be keen to deliver a more complete performance in their next outing.
