Trent Alexander-Arnold has made it clear that Jurgen Klopp announcing his departure from Liverpool has affected the players as they push for silverware.
Klopp announced to the public on January 26 that he would step down at the end of the season, admitting that he was “running out of energy” for the job. The explanation was understandable, but still surprised and upset the dressing room, who have become accustomed to working under the German.
Whatever happens now, Liverpool will end Klopp’s final season with a trophy, having won the Carabao Cup in February. But their Premier League title push has faltered with a draw against Manchester United and a defeat by Crystal Palace and they were thrashed 3-0 by Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Liverpool are third in the Premier League, two points behind Manchester City and behind Arsenal on goal difference with six games left. The Reds are the only side to stop City from lifting the trophy in the past six seasons, but Alexander-Arnold has admitted the emotion around Klopp’s impending exit will influence things.
“Having the experience of being in a title race will be a massive part of getting over the line, but obviously Arsenal and Manchester City will have that from last season with their title race,” he told Gary Neville on The Overlap. “I think Jurgen Klopp leaving at the end of the season will feed into the title run in. The fear that it gets to May and it’s still tight, then it’ll feed into how it’s going to look and how it could feel up until then.
“We just need to try and stay composed. The manager never says we’re trying to win the league, he doesn’t speak about it, but it’s more that we’re going to get the most out of ourselves, we’re going to squeeze every drop of potential there.
“There will be twists and turns no matter what, and I’m sure teams will try and win it, and we’ll come close to winning every single game between now and the end of the season, and we just hope we’re in the best position at the end of the season.” Liverpool face Atalanta in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday before Premier League games against Fulham and Everton. They then finish the season against West Ham, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves.
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Alexander-Arnold is now an experienced member of the Liverpool squad, but back in 2016 he was an 18-year-old who was handed his debut by Klopp. He has now made 303 appearances for his boyhood club and knows he owes a lot to his manager.
“Jurgen Klopp has been nothing but incredible,” he said. “I owe everything to him as a player. I was thinking about this recently and the only thing you can ask for as a young player is an opportunity and what you can hope at 18/19, is that you’ve got a manager that’s willing to give you a chance, and I was fortunate enough to have that.
“Not only that, he put his arm around me and guided me through it, through the ups and downs, winning and losing games, and taking it game by game, because your first bad game you think you’re never going to kick a ball again, but he gives you that reassurance.”
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