There was clearly not a jot of seriousness involved when Mohamed Salah shoved Trent Alexander-Arnold in training on Tuesday, but that did not prevent the incident from going viral.
As is always the case with training sessions that take place on the eve of Champions League games, the first 15 minutes of the session were open to the media, and cameras captured the pair playfully squaring up to each other, before Ibrahima Konate joined in the fun and stood between the duo.
The moment predictably resulted in some questionable headlines appearing online, with the words ‘bust-up’ and ‘heated’ among the words use to describe what was clearly a joke between two close friends. If anything, the playful mood of both players was an encouraging sign ahead of one of Liverpool’s biggest games of the season, against PSG in the Champions League last-16 second leg.
Alexander-Arnold and Salah have a famously good relationship on and off the field, and the England right-back revealed last year that his biggest “bromance” at Liverpool was with Salah.
“[I have the biggest bromance with Salah because of] how long we’ve known each other and how long we’ve played together, our bond and connection,” Alexander-Arnold told Stadium Astro. “On the pitch, we understand the way we play. Even though we could so many times, we never moan at each other, we just respect each other’s style of play.
(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“At times I’ll overlap and completely ignore me. I know the next time if I get the ball and don’t pass to him, he’s probably thinking the same thing. We respect each others’ play, and that’s why I think our right side is one of the best ever.”
Salah himself recently named Alexander-Arnold as one of his best friends in soccer, telling TNT Sports: “I have many [good friends]. Me and Eden Hazard when we see each other have so much fun. I’m close to Kostas [Tsimikas], I’m close to Dominik [Szoboszlai].
“Virgil [van Dijk] also, because we have been team-mates for eight years, so when we sit together and discuss we always have an incredible conversation. We have so much respect for each other. I like Trent a lot but he’s crazy. He doesn’t like to talk but I love him. Robbo [Andy Robertson] more for talking, Trent for listening.”
