Liverpool fans put their faith in Conor Bradley as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s anointed successor at right-back – as they serenaded the Northern Irishman during the first half against Arsenal.
With Reds boss Arne Slot having confirmed his intention to name the 21-year-old defender from the start against the Gunners, the full-back repaid his faith with a bright display before the interval at Anfield. The youngster’s name was sung by supporters on the Kop after a typical full-blooded tackle in the opening stages of the top-of-the-table clash.
Following Alexander-Arnold’s announcement of his intentions to depart Merseyside this summer as a free agent, Bradley has been backed by figures including Jamie Carragher as his ready-made replacement. It appeared that Liverpool fans were in agreement with this notion too – as they chanted “there’s only one Conor Bradley” on various occasions against the Gunners.
While the Reds academy product was impressive during the first half against the visitors from North London, his relative inexperience showed as Arsenal grabbed a goal back after the re-start following half-time. Attacking the away end, Mikel Arteta’s side halved the defecit through Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian notched in the 47th minute, latching onto a well-weighted cross from Leandro Trossard – who evaded a timid Bradley in the build-up to the goal. Still, Liverpool’s No. 84 retained the support of those on the terraces, as his name reverberated around the ground once more later on in the second half.
Previous to this, the Reds gained the foothold in the game with a quickfire double – as Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz scored within 87 seconds of each other. After the Dutchman nodded home Andy Robertson’s cross for the opener, his teammate was on hand to score Liverpool’s second with a tap-in less than a minute later.
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Prior to the game, ex-Reds defender Carragher had been involved in a debate with Sky Sports analysts Gary Neville and Micah Richards as they discussed Alexander-Arnold’s impending departure. Amid suggestions that Real Madrid could pay a nominal fee to secure the player’s services early, ahead of the Club World Cup, the Liverpool legend expressed his disapproval.
He said: “It’s funny, because everything that comes up about even this now, why announce it now, there’s almost two sides to every argument, and you could almost look at it like if you’re in Trent’s camp, you look at it and think he’s shown great courage there.
(Image: Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“He’s not waiting until the bus tour’s finished and he announces it so he doesn’t have to see Liverpool fans, so he’s shown some courage. You might get criticism, and he’s having to put up with it.
“And then the flip side of that is, okay you’re announcing it now to give Real Madrid the opportunity to maybe sign you for the Club World Cup.
Neville then interrupted his colleague, asking Carragher: “Would you take the million quid if you were Liverpool?” to which his fellow pundit replied: “I think I’d want a lot more than a million quid.”
Later asked what kind of fee he would be commanding to allow Alexander-Arnold to represent Madrid in the new-look tournament, the Anfield legend added: “I think if it was about five or 10 million quid…
“Hang on, have you seen how much money it is to win it? If they win 100 million, and don’t forget they haven’t got any right-back, the right-back they’re playing is not a right-back so it’s not just like bringing a player in, give us 10 million quid!”
