Liverpool training row truth as Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold clash sees Newcastle react

The pressure has been ramping up over the last few days. There has been talk of 'external noise' that isn't necessarily how the mood inside the training camp sees things.

A cup final on the horizon, silverware to play for. No wonder things are getting tense.

We're not talking about Newcastle United here, despite what Eddie Howe and Bruno Guimaraes said on Monday night at the London Stadium. Instead, the noise yesterday was around Liverpool.

The tranquility on Merseyside was briefly disrupted on Monday afternoon when a playful exchange between Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold was misconstrued as a serious disagreement. The incident occurred around 1.15pm during an open training session at the AXA Training Centre, where the pair were seen pushing each other before being separated by their teammates.

Despite Salah laughing throughout the exchange, some observers interpreted the interaction as a sign of tension between two of the club's most prominent players. However, those familiar with the daily happenings at the training ground assured that it was merely friendly banter between the two close teammates, a sentiment echoed by reporters present at the session.

The duo were seen sharing a laugh at the £50m training complex, suggesting that any talk of discord is much ado about nothing. Observers close to Anfield insist there is a united front as Arne Slot's side embark on what is a pivotal week for them, with the potential to secure a Champions League quarter-final spot tonight before they aim for Carabao Cup glory and to break Newcastle hearts.

First, they face Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. They hold a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Paris where they were battered all game but sneaked a late goal through Harvey Elliott. PSG will represent a huge test of their mettle again but while they came through the Paris in somewhat fortuitous circumstances, it did at least point to their reserves of character as they dug in and found a way to win the game.

It's that resolve and determination that has been underestimated somewhat this season under Slot. It's easy to point to Liverpool romping 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League and the free-scoring form of Salah, Cody Gakpo and others, but this is a Reds side that has more control, more grit than in previous years.

Newcastle need to emulate that battling spirit on Sunday. They showed it in flashes at West Ham on Monday night as, despite a largely underwhelming performance, they ground out a 1-0 win of their own.

“It’s a difficult ground to play at, a difficult team to play against but we dug in, we were disciplined," said Howe. "We were everything defensively that we haven’t been in recent weeks.

“We defended our goal magnificently. We’ve had a challenging week and it was a brilliant response.”

The challenging week, of course, refers to the triple blow of losing Anthony Gordon through suspension and Sven Botman and Lewis Hall to injury. It meant a black cloud appeared over Tyneside, though Howe insisted: "We don't feel that [negativity] internally. It's external noise. At our best, we can beat anybody in the league."

They'll need to be at their best on Sunday, that's for sure. The performance levels will have to step up again from West Ham if they are to beat arguably the best side in Europe right now. Liverpool's reported 'internal dispute' between Salah and Alexander-Arnold may have given Newcastle fans some hope that the Reds are feeling the pressure but it seems all is well on Merseyside. Newcastle just need to focus on their own belief and team spirit which showed signs of recovery on Monday night.