"Brilliant, isn't it?" - Roy Keane appears to aim dig at Liverpool star with 'we really trust you' claim after Arne Slot decision in win over Chelsea
Former Manchester United star Roy Keane took a veiled dig at Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold following the Reds' 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday, October 20.
The Englishman was tasked with keeping a dangerous-looking Chelsea attack at bay. Despite a few hiccups here and there, he looked defensively sound, ending the criticism of his defensive capabilities.
Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones found their names on the scoresheet while Blues' forward Nicholas Jackson scored the consolation goal for the west London club.
Keane, sadly, is far from impressed with Trent's performance in the game. He feels Arne Slot's decision to take him off around the 81-minute mark reaffirms the manager's reluctance to view the 26-year-old as a seasoned defender.
The former Feyenoord manager brought on Joe Gomez to replace Trent with less than 10 minutes left in the game. Chelsea have immense depth in their squad and started looking dangerous towards the dying embers, prompting Arne Slot to bolster their defense.
Roy Keane took a rather smug jibe at the Englishman, claiming he couldn't be trusted defensively.
Here's what he said on 'Stick to Football' (via Rousing the Kop):
"Trent – everyone thought he was brilliant defensively, but the manager took him off with ten minutes to go. Brilliant, isn’t it? But anyway, that’s not the point. Ten minutes to go, you’re 2-1 and you take him off – that’s a great message. We really trust you defensively."
In terms of numbers at least, Trent undoubtedly had one of his finest games in a long time. He managed four clearances in the game, made four crucial tackles and was only dribbled past just once.
He managed to keep Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho at bay during Liverpool's crucial clash against Chelsea.
Liverpool are atop the Premier League table with 21 points
Arne Slot has had a dream start to his stint on English shores since replacing Jurgen Klopp at the helm of the club.
The Reds are atop the Premier League table with 21 points from eight games. Manchester City are second by a slim margin and have 20 points.
Arsenal, however, dropped points and lost 0-2 to Bournemouth last weekend. They are third with 17 points. Chelsea are sixth on the table with 14 points.
Liverpool also won their UEFA Champions League group-stage match this week against RB Leipzig owing to a goal by Darwin Nunez.
The Reds will be in for another test when they take on Arsenal on Sunday, October 27.