Jurgen Klopp orchestrated a spine-tingling ovation for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield tonight
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp urged the whole of Anfield to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a standing ovation after being substituted against Rangers in the Champions League.
The full-back has been criticised this season but looked back to his best in Tuesday's 2-0 victory.
Alexander-Arnold opened the scoring inside seven minutes with a lovely free-kick which curled past the diving Allan McGregor.
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It was his second goal of the season and the England international celebrated like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Towards the end of the game, after Mohamed Salah had doubled Liverpool's lead from the penalty spot, Klopp decided to replace Alexander-Arnold with Joe Gomez.
He gestured to all 49,000 fans inside the stadium to give Alexander-Arnold a round of applause as he left the pitch.
The 23-year-old looked overwhelmed with emotion, receiving a hug from his manager as he made his way to the bench.
— Dan (@DanMarland_) October 4, 2022
Fans on social media noticed Klopp's gesture on the touchline and they think it sums up his man-management abilities.
One person commented: "Outstanding man-management. The best in the business."
Another said: "Unreal psychology by Jurgen Klopp to instigate that."
A third tweeted: "Exactly what he needed."
While someone added: "That was done on purpose, love it."
Liverpool have now won back-to-back European games after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Napoli in their Group A opener last month.
The Reds are ninth in the Premier League and drew 3-3 with Brighton on Saturday afternoon, with this performance being their best in a while.
Alexander-Arnold believes it's a platform to build on and he touched on his own form post-match.
He told Liverpool's official website: "No matter what, I try to always think positively. People say things but for me it’s about going out there and performing for the team.
"That’s the only thing that matters – coming out here and getting the wins and helping the team win games. Yeah, it’s been a tough start to the season for me, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the season."
Trent Alexander-Arnold, that's special! 🎯
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 4, 2022
A perfectly placed free-kick puts Liverpool ahead against Rangers 👌
Superb stuff!#UCL pic.twitter.com/oP8ENMXwpz
When asked about his free-kick, Alexander Arnold replied: "I don’t normally score them from that side, I usually score them from the other side of the pitch!
"For me it was just about getting it on target. It’s what I was focusing on and what I was practising – hitting the target. There’s always a chance of it going in with rebounds and stuff like that."
Liverpool return to action against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
Topics: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Rangers, Champions League
Daniel Marland