Trent Alexander-Arnold makes 'battered' remark after getting Real Madrid boost

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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesTrent Alexander-ArnoldTrent Alexander-Arnold said he and his Real Madrid teammates were fueled by claims they were going to "get battered" by Manchester City after Federico Valverde's hat-trick secured a 3-0 victoryTrent Alexander-Arnold offered an insight into Real Madrid's mentality against Manchester City(Image: TNT Sports)Trent Alexander-Arnold has hinted that he and his Real Madrid teammates were motivated by claims Manchester City would "batter" them in their Champions League encounter.For the fifth consecutive year, City was paired with the Spanish team in the competition's knockout rounds. Yet, in the first leg of their last-16 tie, Federico Valverde's hat-trick in the opening period delivered a commanding 3-0 win.City now faces a substantial challenge when it welcomes Alvaro Arbeloa's squad for the return Champions League game.READ MORE: Liverpool joined in misery by Premier League rivals after woeful Champions League showingREAD MORE: Pundits split on Arne Slot's Liverpool future as Rio Ngumoha decision causes stirFollowing the match, former Liverpool vice-captain Alexander-Arnold acknowledged that he and his colleagues drew inspiration from predictions favouring City, considering Madrid's patchy form across all competitions this term and the absence of key players, including Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.Alexander-Arnold said: "Massive performance."A lot of the noise, when the draw was made and leading up to this game, especially with the way we have been playing and results we have had.Pep Guardiola's players will need a miracle if they are to progress into the next round(Image: Jose Breton/NurPhoto)"A lot of people expected us to get battered tonight.

We have executed the game plan perfectly."We had confidence coming into this game. We knew our game plan, we executed it, and scored our goals very ruthlessly.

The size of the game is the main thing."I don't want to say that other games are less important, but when there is so much hype around a game and so many eyes on it, you know you have to perform."When you play for a club like this, the expectation is that you have to win."I am running out of words for him (Valverde) as a player. As a player, the best attribute you can have is that your teammates can always count on you, and he never lets us down."Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Trent Alexander-ArnoldLiverpool FCManchester City FCReal Madrid CF