Liverpool manager Arne Slot has again insisted that uncertainty over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future was not to blame for his poor performance against Manchester United at the weekend.
The right-back endured a tough time at Anfield on Sunday as the Premier League leaders were held to a thrilling 2-2 draw by old rivals United, coming in for criticism from a section his own supporters during the game and in the UK media afterwards.
Alexander-Arnold, captain Virgil van Dijk and attacker Mohamed Salah's contract sagas are currently making as many headlines as the team's sparkling season so far that sees the Reds topping both the Premier League and Champions League tables.
The trio can leave for free at the end of the season with England international Alexander-Arnold strongly linked with a move to European champions Real Madrid but Slot came out after Sunday's draw stating that the rumours had no bearing on his struggles against United.
And, speaking ahead of Wednesday's League Cup semi-final first leg away to Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutch coach reiterated his belief that it is usually the performances of the opposition rather than the mistakes of his own team that decide games.
“What I do know this season, all the points and all the results we got this season are deserved,” said Slot. “All the players are fit at the moment but if we drop points when we have injuries, people say it is because you have injuries.
“If Mohamed Salah misses a penalty against Real Madrid, he's distracted by his ‘contract situation’.
“If Trent doesn't play well he's distracted by his ‘contract situation’. If everybody plays well, nobody is distracted by their ‘contract situation’.
“Nine times out of 10, [results are] down to how well the other team plays.”
Alexander-Arnold bore the brunt of criticism after the home draw against a United side that had lost five times last month following a hapless defensive display that eventually saw him replaced by Conor Bradley minutes after he had picked up a yellow card.
But, as Slot was at pains to point out, it was not only Alexander-Arnold who was below par at Anfield. “We were all disappointed, not only Trent Alexander-Arnold, we were all disappointed,” said the former Feyenoord coach.
“First of all about the result. Parts of our game we weren't completely happy with. It wasn't only Trent, there were more things we could have done better.
“Trent didn't play his best game, but some others also didn't play their best. If you play 50, 60 games in a season, one of them won't be your best performance. Maybe we should highlight these players are playing so well despite playing two games in a week.
“I've spoken to him and others individually as well, which you do after every game. I spoke to him before the game as well and the things we shared I will not say here.
“It wasn't his best game and I showed him where to improve. But you do this after every game. Sometimes you show them what they did really well. But I do this with everyone.
“There are always things you can improve, but in general they worked really hard. We were unable to get the best result but we still got a result.”
Spurs, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that captain Son Heung-min had agreed to extend his stay in North London until the summer of 2026.
The 32-year-old South Korean attacker, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has long established himself as firm fans' favourite after scoring 169 goals in 431 games.
This season, though, has not been one of his best, despite scoring five goals and providing six assists in 17 league matches, with Son was left on the bench until the 62nd minute of Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Newcastle United – 12th-placed Spurs' sixth home league game in a row without a win.
“The main ambition is to make sure he finishes his career here with some silverware,” said manager Ange Postecoglou on Tuesday as Spurs aim to keep alive their hopes of winning a first major trophy since securing the League Cup in 2008.
News of Son's new deal should come as welcome relief as Tottenham continue to struggle with a lengthy list of players out of action with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison all injured. James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr are absent for the first-leg through suspension.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who has just joined from Slavia Prague, is eligible and could start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
