Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has shared what Trent Alexander-Arnold told him after Liverpool’s draw with the Gunners last season.
The two players were big figures in the game’s key moment. With Arsenal holding a 2-1 lead, Trent put the ball through Zinchenko’s legs before setting up Roberto Firmino for a late equaliser.
It was a brilliant piece of skill from Liverpool’s right-back, but speaking to Rio Ferdinand for his FIVE YouTube channel, Zinchenko says Trent didn’t mean to do it.
“Trent last season, about megs [putting the ball between his legs]. I spoke with him after the game in the tunnel,” explained the Ukrainian.
“He said ‘Alex, I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t expect that I megs you. In the end I just put my head down and saw the ball is still with me and then after I realised that I megs you.’ I knew he was going to meg me! I knew! If you see the pictures, my knees were touching each other, I knew that’s the only way he could go through me.”
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Zinchenko shares Trent exchange
It’s a little surprising to hear that Trent and Zinchenko were so openly speaking after April’s 2-2 draw at Anfield.
The game was a pretty spicy affair, with Liverpool’s No.66 notably involved in a flashpoint with Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka. Having then played a huge hand in a goal that derailed Arsenal’s title bid, you’d have thought he’d be the last man Gunners players would want to speak to.
Zinchenko himself was visibly distraught on the Anfield bench having been taken off following Firmino’s headed goal.
After such a crushing blow, you’d have thought he be willing to get straight off.
However, football is different these days. We’ve seen that with Liverpool’s rivalry with Manchester City over recent years. The players and the two manager’s get on superbly well off the pitch. It’s no doubt the same with other clubs, too.
Zinchenko being a former City man of course, he’ll be no stranger to that slightly friendly rivalry.
Nevertheless, he’s still a fierce competitor, and will no doubt be trying to avenge Trent’s humiliation of him last season. Just like with his admission about Mohamed Salah today though, we can’t see that ending well for the Arsenal defender.