When Liverpool started off the season racking up the wins despite not always performing at their best, plenty of people were already focusing on a Champions League clash against Real Madrid and a reunion
with a certain ex-player who joined them on a free transfer last summer.
A slumping October as results dropped off rather put the focus elsewhere, but a much-needed win over Aston Villa over the weekend has at least returned a little hope to the mix that is the opening months of the 2025-26 season. And now, Madrid and that reunion are just a day away.
“Let’s see,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said when asked if he expects a hostile reception for Trent Alexander-Arnold when the sides meet on Tuesday under the lights at Anfield. “Do you want it to be hostile? I think he was outstanding in his time at Liverpool, that’s the only thing I can say.
“I haven’t spoken to him much since the move. It’s nothing personal, I live my life and he has his life in Madrid. I think he is a quality player, a gifted player, and he was important for us all those years. So I was happy to have him in my team, but now he’s an opponent. If he plays we have to make it very difficult for him to do what he’s good at.”
It’s no guarantee Alexander-Arnold will play, having made just two appearances on the bench—and not coming on in either—since returning from a hamstring injury. Even before then he was splitting time with established right back Dani Carvajal, playing just 156 minutes in five appearances.
Regardless, Liverpool’s primary focus can’t be on their former teammate or the reception he might or might not get if he even plays on Tuesday evening. These Reds need a win, and to show that they can build on the positive result over the weekend rather than it ending up a brief respite from the growing negativity.
“Obviously we’re in November, there’s still so much football to be played,” Van Dijk added. “Stay fit, make sure you’re in form, perform—and every three or four days there’s an opportunity to do that. So on to the next and we’ll see by March or whatever, then we can see how it is then.”
