LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool manager Arne Slot is urging fans to not show any negative emotions toward Trent Alexander-Arnold against Arsenal on Sunday in the team's first match since the England international's announcement he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
Alexander-Arnold has acknowledged his decision to leave will “anger” some Liverpool supporters, who might feel unhappy he has run down his contract and not allowed the club to get any money for one of its star assets.
Slot said he was “not here to tell the fans how they should react” but doesn't want any anti-Alexander-Arnold sentiment affecting the already-crowned Premier League champion's final matches of the season.
“I think we are all disappointed,” Slot said in a news conference Friday, "but Trent is the first one also who said that he would prefer us as a team and us as a club not to be too much distracted by this announcement.
“So I am hoping that all the energy on Sunday goes to the players and to the support of our fans and as less as possible to Trent. Unless it is positive and then they can do whatever they want.”
Slot said Conor Bradley is likely to start ahead of Alexander-Arnold at right back against Arsenal.
And the manager wouldn't comment directly on the possibility of Alexander-Arnold heading to Real Madrid — his widely reported next destination — ahead of the Club World Cup starting in mid-June, though he did drop a hint.
“Do you know where he is going?” Slot said with a smile. "He hasn't said anything about it himself — the only thing he has said is that he's going to leave the club.
“For me it's impossible to comment on where he is going and if that is a club that's going to play in the Club World Cup — you see on my smile that we both know where he is going to but it hasn't been said yet — so that’s impossible for me to comment on.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.
Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.
Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.
James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.
Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.
Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.
Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.
Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.
Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
