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In case you hadn’t noticed, a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold is back at Anfield later.
Just a few months after one of the most divisive departures in Liverpool history, the 27-year-old will be back where it all began for him, only for the first time in his career, he’ll be hoping the Reds lose.
Much has been made about his first visit back to Merseyside since trading his home for the bright lights of Real Madrid - so much so, that you’d be forgiven for forgetting that Liverpool will also have the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham to deal with.
In fact, chances are, Alexander-Arnold will be among the least of the Reds’ worries later. That’s not bitterness at the manner in which he departed, it’s merely a reflection of his current status at the Bernabeu.
The fact that Alexander-Arnold has made the trip to Anfield is something of a surprise in itself, given he was clutching his hamstring just minutes into his Champions League debut for Real a little over a month ago.
He’s only returned to Xabi Alonso’s squad just over a week ago, and he hasn’t played a single minute in either of Los Blancos’ games in that time. As much as the narrative of his return to haunt Liverpool is being built up, chances are we’ll see nothing more than a cameo from him tonight.
You can guarantee though that there will be a camera trained on him at all times. If there’s an even a hint that he’ll make an appearance, every pundit going will be ready to give their take on the reaction from the Anfield crowd.
We all know what to expect, of course. Although he’ll be getting a warm welcome from his former teammates, he shouldn’t be expecting the same from the supporters that once worshipped him.
Liverpool fans made their feelings clear when given the opportunity last season, and they were roundly slammed by rivals, pundits and even Jurgen Klopp - which does beg the question, what were they expecting?
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This was a player who had come through the ranks at Anfield and spoken of his dreams to captain Liverpool, only to decide - in the prime of his career - that he wanted to jump ship. Yes, he had given so much to the club, and deserved a lot of credit for that, but it was extremely naive for anyone to expect everyone to give him a rousing send-off.
In any case, that’s in the past - and, crucially, so is Alexander-Arnold’s time as a Liverpool player. He now returns to Anfield as someone trying to stop the Reds from winning, and fans should not feel pressured into welcoming him back just because some pundits couldn’t - or perhaps chose not to - understand their grievances in the first place.
There certainly wasn’t the same uproar when Luis Suarez was roundly booed with Barcelona in 2019 - a player who had almost single-handedly dragged Liverpool to a first Premier League title in decades just a few years earlier.
His antics during the first leg may have played a part in that, but that was accepted as fans simply using their home advantage to make things as hostile as they could on a night when the Reds needed a miracle.
The stakes might not be as high on this occasion, but that doesn’t mean Alexander-Arnold - or any Real Madrid player - should be given an easy ride. Liverpool wants to beat one of its biggest rivals in Europe, and the fans should feel as though they can play their part - and, if they want to, even boo someone they once considered to be one of their own not too long ago.
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