When the fixture list for the Champions League was announced, it was already being circled for the narrative, beyond the history of the two teams in the competition. Real Madrid’s trip to Anfield, occurring for a second year in a row, brought with it a return for manager Xabi Alonso, but also Trent Alexander-Arnold, just months after leaving his boyhood club to join Los Blancos for €10m.
Many were wondering what kind of reception he would get from the crowd that loved him so much last year, but it was not a positive one. Liverpool fans booed Alexander-Arnold during the warm-up, which brought some chuckles from the England international.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has not gotten more popular since leaving Anfield… #LFC #RealMadrid
— Football España (@footballespana_) November 4, 2025
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who was covering the game pitchside for CBS Golazo in the United States said he could understand their reaction. Carragher, a one-club man at Anfield himself, explained that Liverpool fans felt as if Alexander-Arnold had been disingenuous about his dedication for the club, and rather than trying to take the Reds to further glory himself, had jumped ship at the prospect of more trophies elsewhere.
“They feel they have been hoodwinked a little bit by Trent.”@Carra23 on fans’ reception to Trent Alexander-Arnold returning to Anfield 🗣️
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 4, 2025
Ahead of the game Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he would be giving Alexander-Arnold a warm welcome back to his old club, while Alonso told the press that his right-back ‘should enjoy it’. The 26-year-old said in the build-up that he was excited, but as a lifelong Liverpool fan, would not celebrate should he score.
That message seemed to do little for Alexander-Arnold’s reputation though, with a mural of him being desecrated on the eve of the game. Graffiti read ‘Goodbye, the rat’ in Spanish alongside the player, where a quote reads that he is just a ‘normal boy from Liverpool living out his dream.’
