Leaders three points from clinching Premier League titleFull-back’s winner was first goal for club with his left foot Arne Slot said it is “ridiculous” to dispute Trent Alexander-Arnold’s commitment to Liverpool after he scored the only goal at Leicester to push his club closer to a 20th league title. The 26-year-old, who is expected to join Real Madrid on a free this summer, fired in his first left-foot goal for his boyhood club on his return from an ankle injury to secure victory and condemn Leicester to relegation. Alexander-Arnold, who scored within five minutes of replacing Conor Bradley, is poised to join Real on a long-term contract when his Liverpool contract expires. He celebrated at Leicester by removing his shirt and placing it on the corner flag nearest to the away fans, and following the match he soaked up their adulation after Virgil van Dijk ushered him towards them. Alexander-Arnold, who joined Liverpool aged six, has won every domestic trophy with the club, plus the Champions League. Continue reading...

Arne Slot praises Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Liverpool defender scores a rare left-footed effort that puts the Reds one win away from winning the Premier League.

It was the 76th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped off his No 66 shirt to exhibit his cartoonish torso, ran towards the pocket of giddy Liverpool supporters and spread his arms as wide as humanly possible, as if to say: “Well, isn’t this what you came for?” In many ways, yes, Alexander-Arnold’s vicious, unerring strike earned an inevitable victory over a team that lost hope a long, long time ago. “And now you’re going to believe us, we’re gonna win the league,” sang the 3,292 travelling supporters. The only thing is they’re going to have to wait that little bit longer. The crown could arrive as early as Wednesday if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace. Before a ball had been kicked almost all of the juice of this match had been slowly siphoned out over the course of Arsenal’s victory over Ipswich 134 miles away at Portman Road. Arne Slot said he caught the first 10 minutes before heading into a pre-match meeting and boarding the heavily-branded team bus to the King Power Stadium. Continue reading...

Premier League crown could be clinched on Sunday but the lack of jeopardy in recent weeks is the fault of others Arne Slot was denied the perfect Feyenoord ending by PSV, when his team finished seven points behind their rivals, albeit having won the Dutch Cup. Eleven months on, he is poised to mark his first season as Liverpool’s head coach by becoming a Premier League champion and could seal the trophy by defeating a PSV and Manchester United legend, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and confirming Leicester’s relegation. Thoughts of spite will not enter Slot’s mind, however. He has been reserved since arriving at Anfield, but fans would revel in completing a merited title triumph at the King Power on Sunday. The added needle is much needed because Liverpool’s superiority has made the title race tedious. Others are to blame for that. Continue reading...