In the euphoria of Liverpool’s stunning comeback against Fulham, Trent Alexander-Arnold disclosed an unexpected casualty none other than defensive stalwart Virgil van Dijk.
As the Reds orchestrated a dramatic turnaround with goals from Wataru Endo and Alexander-Arnold, the latter’s 88th-minute winner unleashed unbridled jubilation.
Alexander-Arnold’s celebratory belly slide in the corner of the pitch became emblematic of the team’s joy, yet it came at a cost for Van Dijk.
“I think you can see by the celebration how much it meant,” Alexander-Arnold told Liverpoolfc.com, before explaining the reason for his unusual choice of celebration.
“I’ve got a big cut on my knee so I didn’t want to risk reopening that with a knee slide so I thought I had to do something. You can see the emotion in it, how much it meant to the team and the fans.”
Liverpool’s vice-captain, typically known for his composed demeanor, apparently let the moment sweep him away, leading to an undisclosed injury during the revelry.
Alexander-Arnold continued: “He’s (Van Dijk) got cuts on his knees because it’s the first time he’s done a knee slide. For someone like him who is calm and composed to knee slide shows how much it meant to the team.
“It was massively important to stay in and around the top of the table. We’ve got a big week ahead of us which starts in midweek, it was good to get momentum going into that.”
Despite the thrilling victory, Alexander-Arnold acknowledged defensive frailties that need addressing, having conceded three times at home.
“At home, we need to be putting games away, we controlled the game but all three of the goals we conceded were sloppy,” he added.
“We got punished for our sloppiness at the end of the day, it wasn’t about luck, they took advantage when we were not at our best, but it was important for us to get three points.”
With little time to bask in the glory, Liverpool swiftly turns their focus to Sheffield United in the upcoming Premier League clash on December 6th.
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