Ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated Premier League showdown between Liverpool and Manchester City, remarks of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold comparing the two titans ignited a public exchange between him and City’s Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias.
Alexander-Arnold Comments on Liverpool and Manchester City Success Difference
In an interview with FourFourTwo, Alexander-Arnold highlighted the significance of success for Liverpool and their fans, suggesting that their achievements carry more weight due to financial disparities between the clubs. He stated,
“It’s tough. We’re up against a machine that’s built to win – that’s the simplest way to describe City and their organisation. Our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs, financially.”
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Haaland & Dias Response
Haaland, responding to Alexander-Arnold’s comments on Sky Sports, couldn’t resist a retort, emphasizing City’s recent successes, including winning the treble last year. Haaland remarked,
“If he wants to say that, OK. I’ve been here one year and I won the treble and it was quite a nice feeling. I don’t think he knows this feeling… they can talk as much as they want, but I don’t mind.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Dias, in an interview with BBC Radio Manchester, expanded on Alexander-Arnold’s remarks, highlighting City’s achievements and emphasizing the club’s focus on internal success. Dias asserted,
“We’ve won a lot in this club, especially last year with the Treble. A Treble is a feeling you can only know when you actually do it… Other people’s success is deserved for their own achievements. What we focus on is ourselves…”
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Haaland & Alexander-Arnold on Title Race Ahead of Liverpool vs Manchester City
Both Alexander-Arnold and Haaland also addressed the broader context of the Premier League title race. Alexander-Arnold acknowledged City’s formidable form but expressed confidence in Liverpool’s ability to challenge. He remarked,
“From the turn of the year, City switch it on and it’s a difficult machine to stop. But we’ve shown in the past that we’ve been able to do it… It’s going to be an exciting end.”
Meanwhile, Haaland recognized the competitiveness of the league and City’s recent dominance, stating,
“There’s so many [teams] who are so good. The last few years it’s been Manchester City, and we’re going to try and do it again… It’s not going to be easy but we are good.”
As tension mounts ahead of Sunday’s clash, the verbal exchange between Alexander-Arnold, Haaland, and Dias adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already highly anticipated encounter between two Premier League powerhouses.