Liverpool drew with Manchester United on Sunday, passing up the opportunity to go eight points clear in the Premier League.
The Reds knew they had a perfect opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table when Arsenal dropped points against Brighton on Saturday.
However, it was evident from the start at Anfield that United had come to change the narrative.
Despite starting in 14th place in the Premier League, Ruben Amorim’s side dominated the first half, with Trent Alexander-Arnold in particular struggling.
Roy Kean ripped into Alexander-Arnold at halftime, having seen the Liverpool right-back perform far below his potential.
And, when Trent potentially cost the Reds not one, but two goals, Jamie Carragher claimed that Arne Slot should have taken him off far sooner than he did.
Jamie Carragher points out Arne Slot mistake
Slot has scarcely got anything wrong at Liverpool since his arrival over the summer.
Given Liverpool’s position in both the Premier League and the Champions League, it’s fair to argue that the head coach has made some outstanding contributions.
However, Carragher believes that waiting until the 86th minute to remove Alexander-Arnold on Sunday was a mistake.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Liverpool legend insisted that Trent should have been traded for Conor Bradley sooner.
“I think he got that wrong today,” Carragher stated while discussing Alexander-Arnold’s troubles.
“I believe he should have taken Trent off earlier. Not at halftime, but see how the first 10 or 15 minutes unfold. But I believe Trent should have been replaced sooner after Man United scored their first goal.”
How did Conor Bradley get along?
It was clear to almost everyone watching Sunday’s game that Manchester United was targeting Alexander-Arnold.
Nonetheless, the 26-year-old should have handled things considerably better than he did.
But as Liverpool turned the game around in the second half, Slot should have known it was time to take Trent off. Instead, the manager did not draw the trigger, and another United goal came down the Reds’ right flank.
Slot’s hesitation to take his right back off was most likely due to Bradley’s recent comeback from injury. Had the Northern Irishman been totally fit, he would have played sooner.
As it turned out, Bradley was outstanding when he came on, almost scoring the improbable winning goal. The 21-year-old will most likely start for Tottenham on Wednesday and should be considered for a regular spot in the future.
