Arne Slot, in his first competitive home match in charge of Liverpool, remained calm despite Trent Alexander-Arnold's apparent frustration after being substituted during Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Brentford.
The England defender, who has been a key figure for the Reds, was visibly unhappy as he made way for Conor Bradley in the 72nd minute, just moments after Mohamed Salah doubled the home side's lead at Anfield.
Slot addressed the situation post-match, dismissing any rumors of a rift with Alexander-Arnold, who had returned from playing in Euro 2024. "He didn't look that happy being taken off, I understand," Slot said.
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Slot stresses the importance of managing Alexander-Arnold's fitness
He added: "Every player wants to play 90 minutes, but we have to take care of him because we need him for the whole season and not only for the first two games. The good thing for me is I have a very good back-up with Conor."
Alexander-Arnold's reaction came after an impressive performance, but Slot emphasized the importance of managing his minutes early in the season.
The right-back had just returned from international duty and was playing in only his third game since the Euros. Slot's decision to substitute him was part of a broader strategy to keep the defender fresh for the challenges ahead.
Liverpool secured the win with goals from Luis Diaz and Salah, marking their second consecutive victory and clean sheet to start the season.
Despite the positive results, Slot acknowledged that tougher tests lie ahead, with Manchester United next on the schedule. "Two good wins against difficult opponents," he noted. "But there's still a lot for us to prove with the whole season coming up."
Slot was warmly received by the Anfield crowd, with Liverpool's owner, John W. Henry, flying in from the United States to witness the new manager's home debut. Though there were no dramatic celebrations from Slot at fulltime, his calm demeanor and the team's strong start have already begun to endear him to the Liverpool faithful.
Slot concluded by expressing his appreciation for the support, saying: "The reception of the fans was similar to the reception I got from the people in and around the area and the people that are working for Liverpool. The most important thing we have to do as managers is make sure the team plays in a style the fans like to see, and that's what we're trying and the boys showed that."
