Via Liverpool.com
Trent Alexander-Arnold was threatening to take over the Aston Villa game. Having just got Liverpool back on terms, he looked to really mean business
but then Arne Slot substituted him, (Trent) leading to an exchange of words on the touchlines.
It remains to be seen if we are witnessing Alexander-Arnold's final few months as a Liverpool player, but he is clearly craving a truly blockbuster performance between now and the end of the campaign.
Whether that's to sign off in style or prove his commitment to his boyhood club, only time will tell.
He might well wish to emulate Mohamed Salah, who has conjured more than his fair share of magic lately — his whole season has been a compelling case for a new contract, but also a potentially perfect "last dance" at Anfield.
While Virgil van Dijk is still waiting for a moment to match his Carabao Cup heroics from last year, he too has made some eye-catching contributions.
That's not to say that Alexander-Arnold has been at all peripheral (although he does seem to be slightly less central under Slot's tactical plan).
But like his close friend Jude Bellingham, the Liverpool vice-captain loves an "I'm him" moment, surely a prerequisite of an aspiring Ballon d'Or winner.
After his goal, Alexander-Arnold windmilled his arms at the crowd in the manner of Steven Gerrard, looking determined to turn the tide of the game almost single-handedly — as the old captain did so many times.
So it was never likely to be well-received when Slot withdrew him from the fray.
The full-back refrained from making a scene as Conor Bradley came on his place.
But you could tell from his expression that he was unimpressed, and Slot has revealed the conversation they had after the substitution.
Slot
"We spoke about this already a week ago,"
"These five games [Everton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle in the space of 15 days], he already knows how many minutes he would make.
"That was in a situation where Conor was available as well, so now we maybe have to adjust that plan.
“I said to him, "you know why I take you off, don't you?" and he said "yeah, yeah, yeah we spoke about it."
"Of course as a player he had adrenaline and had just scored. It was a better moment than when he lost the ball against Wolves just before I took him off, so he's improving!"
Alexander-Arnold only recently returned from injury, so it's no surprise to hear that Slot and his team have put together a pre-arranged plan for his game time.
But as the manager alluded to, that may now have to change following the injury sustained by Bradley in the dying minutes.
He was replaced in turn by Jarell Quansah.
But while the center-back can do a job on the right, Slot will presumably want to avoid that solution for any great length of time, primarily because of what's being given up in an attacking sense.
So maybe the next few games will present Alexander-Arnold with the chance he has been looking for to influence the title race with a performance for the ages
His chances of at least making it through a full 90 minutes have just gone up, and the Etihad would be a pretty great place for him to leave his mark.
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