LIVERPOOL dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold for their Carabao Cup semi against Spurs after his Manchester United horror show.
The Real Madrid free transfer target was well off the pace in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with the Red Devils on Sunday.
SunSport’s Tactics Exposed revealed how United targeted Alexander-Arnold and stopped him from dictating play.
Arne Slot saw fit to drop the defender from his starting XI against Tottenham.
Alexander-Arnold found himself on the bench alongside other big names including Andy Robertson, Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate.
Instead, Conor Bradley was selected to go up against Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min, fresh after the attacker penned a contract extension.
Key men Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah were all been selected for the game.
Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister made the midfield cut.
Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, Jarrell Quansah and Kostas Tsimikas werealso chosen as Liverpool looked to put one foot in the Carabao final.
Alexander-Arnold did manage to get onto the pitch however, as he replaced Bradley on 60 minutes.
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As for Spurs, they handed an immediate debut to new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
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The Czech stopped joined from Slavia Prague for £12million at the weekend and his first task was to stop Liverpool’s free-scoring attack from finding the target.
Injuries to several players means Ange Postecoglou once again picked a backline of Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray.
Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall manned Tottenham’s midfield.
While Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski joined Son up front.
Speaking after Liverpool’s draw, Slot admitted Alexander-Arnold did not enjoy his best outing at Anfield.
The Dutch boss said: “I think we were all disappointed, not only Trent, we were all disappointed by the way we played, first of all by the result, parts of the game we could be quite satisfied with, other parts we were not completely happy with.
“That was not only Trent, there were more things in the game we could have done better. Trent did not play his best game, I’ve said that already, but it is not the first time in his life he didn’t play the best game of his career.
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“He has played so so so many games well for this club, now it wasn’t his best – like some others it wasn’t the best game – but we just pick it up and start training again today.
“These players know if you play 50-60 games in a season once in a while you don’t have your best performance.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
