Alexander-Arnold sent instant Steven Gerrard message after brutal Liverpool boos

Trent Alexander-Arnold sent immediate Steven Gerrard message after brutal Liverpool boos

Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to Anfield for the first time since he controversially left Liverpool as a free agent to join Real Madrid in the summer

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Liverpool fans greeted Trent Alexander-Arnold with deafening jeers after he was brought on for Real Madrid at Anfield - and then paid tribute to Steven Gerrard.

Usually, a Champions League clash between the Reds and the Spanish heavyweights needs no sub-plot. However, the return of Alexander-Arnold after his acrimonious exit from Liverpool was one of the biggest talking points in the build-up to the contest.

His departure as a free agent, even though Liverpool did secure a £10million fee from Xabi Alonso's side so he could play at the Club World Cup in the summer, hurt the Reds fanbase. After Alexander-Arnold was named on the bench at Anfield, not long after recovering from a hamstring injury, many wondered if Alonso would turn to the defender.

With Real trailing 1-0 after Alexis Mac Allister's header, Alonso introduced the former academy graduate into the game for Turkish midfielder Arda Guler. When fans spotted Alexander-Arnold was taking his tracksuit off, boos began to radiate around Anfield.

When he stepped up to the touchline and then jogged onto the pitch, the jeers became deafening. However, the boos did subside and be replaced by a unified chant about Gerrard, who will always be loved for staying at Liverpool, despite previous links to Chelsea, AC Milan and Real Madrid.

The now Los Blancos defender was not able to influence the game when he came onto the pitch. Arne Slot's side managed to hold onto the lead and secure a well deserved, and vital, three points.

In the first half, Dominik Szoboszlai tested Thibaut Courtois with a stinging effort from 20-yards which was pushed out by the Real goalkeeper, before the Belgian saved another effort from the Hungarian from point-blank range, after a great pass from Florian Wirtz.

The Reds also saw a penalty decision be overturned. Referee István Kovács gave a Liverpool free-kick after he adjudged Aurelien Tchouameni had hand-balled the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box. When the Romanian started walking towards the pitch-side monitor, it was almost presumed he would give a penalty, with the ball striking his arm in the penalty area.

But he cancelled the original decision, deciding the Frenchman had not made his body bigger when the ball struck his arm. Courtois made another excellent stop from Virgil van Dijk in the second half, but he could not prevent Mac Allister from nodding in the winning goal.

The Argentine got onto the end of a sumptuous delivery from Szoboszlai and glanced a fine header past Courtois. Liverpool moved level on points with the Spanish heavyweights as a result of the win.

They ended the evening in sixth position, albeit with many more matches to be played tomorrow evening. It was also a second consecutive victory for the Reds after the weekend's 2-0 triumph over Aston Villa.

It was another much needed victory after last week's 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the League Cup was the exclamation point on a barren run of five defeats in six matches in all competitions.

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