Liverpool’s mood this week has been upbeat, which might explain why Monday’s lighthearted scuffle between Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander‑Arnold turned into a talking point. They shoved each other during an open training session, and social media buzzed with claims of discord in the squad. Yet anyone who stuck around the $60 million training center in Kirkby quickly learned there was more chuckling than fury involved.
Even the towering figure of Ibrahima Konate looked amused as he and Harvey Elliott guided Trent and Salah in different directions. After practice, both players laughed it off in the corridor, suggesting this little incident was a playful jest. “He’s a game‑winner for us,” Trent said of Salah just last week, brushing aside any hints of tension. “They’re the type of players you need to be successful.”
A Surprising First-Leg Result
They’ll need all the positive energy they can muster on Tuesday, when Paris Saint‑Germain visit Anfield for the Champions League Round of 16 second leg. Arne Slot‘s side hold a narrow 1‑0 advantage from the first meeting in Paris, though they were outplayed for large stretches. That close‑range result still came as a surprise to many. PSG peppered Alisson’s goal with 27 shots, but the Liverpool goalkeeper turned away most attempts.
“The result was ours, the performance was for them,” Slot acknowledged after the smash‑and‑grab in the French capital. “Maybe 50/50 is a fair way of looking at it. Tomorrow, we want to play a different game, but our intentions are always the same. We just want to win every single game and have the ball as much as we can.”
While Slot credits PSG for a dominant display, he also believes his team can still improve. Even the traveling French contingent recognizes the difficulties of playing at Anfield. “When you play Anfield against Liverpool, you don’t need to motivate yourself that much,” PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia said. “It will be a tough game, but this is our mentality: we try to win every game.”
PSG coach Luis Enrique, who rarely gives post‑match speeches, made an exception after last week’s loss to reassure his players. “I told them they did absolutely everything to get a result,” he said, “but I don’t think I will be doing it again. We know what it means to play at Anfield, it’s a historic stadium, and that is a huge motivation.”
If Liverpool overcomes PSG, they’ll advance to the last eight with renewed belief. They also have a cup final on the horizon, and Slot’s men are bracing for a flurry of matches that could define their campaign. Beyond the training‑ground banter and social media chatter lies a confident group determined to make a statement in Europe.
So, was there tension between Salah and Trent? Not at all. Longtime teammates sometimes find humor in creating a faux squabble for the cameras. The broader sense around the camp is that the team is laser‑focused on tomorrow’s match. The players will be hoping to harness the energy of an always‑raucous Anfield, push their advantage over PSG, and continue their quest for continental glory.
