“Let’s see,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said when asked if he expects a hostile reception for Trent Alexander-Arnold when the sides meet on Tuesday under the lights at Anfield. “Do you want it to be hostile? I think he was outstanding in his time at Liverpool, that’s the only thing I can say.

Liverpool enter a curious emotional crossroads as Anfield prepares to welcome a familiar face in unfamiliar colours. Trent Alexander-Arnold returns wearing Real Madrid white, a sight that still feels like watching Steven Gerrard line up for Los Angeles Galaxy for the first time,

For all Slot’s attempts at circumspection, Liverpool were well worth their win. Mohamed Salah put the hosts in front at the end of a first half they had dominated, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konaté missing clear chances before the Egyptian forward fired in.

Virgil van Dijk labelled Wayne Rooney’s comments on both his and Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah’s leadership as “lazy criticism”. On his podcast, the Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United player stated that Van Dijk and Salah had not ...

Van Dijk was inevitably asked about the return of his former Liverpool teammate to Anfield, and the captain’s responses suggest that he’s taken a pragmatic approach to the reality that Alexander-Arnold has moved on, figuratively and literally.