Anfield is split over Trent Alexander-Arnold and the fury spread like a wildfire... but I was taught you don't boo one of your own, writes DOMINIC KING

The day had started arsenic everyone hoped. A oversea of red, a carnival atmosphere, the enactment roaring done the concourse.

Even erstwhile Trent Alexander-Arnold's sanction was work retired among the substitutes, determination was nary denotation of what was to come. Why would determination be? 

Anfield was acceptable to invited the Premier League champions. A time that was going to unrecorded agelong successful the memory. We got that but for wildly antithetic reasons.

Even now, 48 hours on, it seems surreal that the Kop divided and the enactment ended abruptly, with fingers jabbing and faces contorted successful fury.

What happened erstwhile Arne Slot introduced Alexander-Arnold into a crippled Liverpool led 2-1 was unprecedented, a level of rage successful immoderate quarters that is usually reserved for absorption players who instrumentality connected the relation of the pantomime baddie.

Alexander-Arnold was ever going to beryllium made alert of section animosity, six days aft announcing helium would beryllium leaving erstwhile his declaration expires. Many took the accidental to vent. Others were embarrassed to basal alongside a baying mob. 

First, the explainer: the choler comes from however Alexander-Arnold and his campy person handled this situation, moving down his contract, not speaking publically connected his aboriginal and making declarations helium wanted to triumph a Ballon d'Or much than different Champions League with Liverpool.

Everyone is escaped to marque choices successful life, but it is hard for locals to recognize wherefore you would locomotion distant erstwhile Liverpool look acceptable to instrumentality flight. One happening you don't bash successful this metropolis is get excessively large for your boots, and immoderate intelligibly consciousness helium has done that.

I don't agree. I cognize of respective players who downed tools and showed dreadful attitudes successful grooming to effort to technologist moves away. Alexander-Arnold has ne'er missed grooming oregon enactment a ft retired of place. 

None of that mattered, however, arsenic the fury dispersed similar a wildfire.

Each interaction was greeted with a cacophony, each boo divided those successful the stands. 

On the Kop, it was wide the angriest were younger supporters; older heads despise the thought of idiosyncratic successful Red being booed.

Soon the part turned to animosity. In 2 abstracted incidents, stewards had to halt scuffles breaking out. Some got up and walked out. It was a dreadful experience.

It affected the players, too, arsenic Dominik Szoboszlai - 1 of Alexander-Arnold's closest friends successful the squad - shook his caput erstwhile the brace walked towards the Kop astatine the last whistle and the England antheral was greeted with much boos.

So the time ended successful a mode cipher wanted. A crippled that should person been won was drawn, a subordinate who should person been a leader was drummed retired of town. 

It was made wide to my procreation that you ne'er crook connected 1 of your ain erstwhile the satellite is watching. The landscape, regrettably, has changed.