Mural Vandalized on TAA’s Return to Liverpool

• A mural dedicated to Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool has been vandalized.
• Alexander-Arnold returns to Liverpool for the first time after leaving the team for Real Madrid in the summer.
• It’s expected that Alexander-Arnold won’t get a warm reception at Anfield today.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was immortalized with a mural in Liverpool, but some fans obviously still hold grudges against the defender. That mural was defaced as TAA prepares to return to Liverpool with Real Madrid in the Champions League today.

Trent likely won’t get a nice reception when he returns to his hometown club for today’s game.

“Rat” Scrawled on Alexander-Arnold Mural

It was reported early on Tuesday that the Alexander-Arnold mural on Sybil Road in Liverpool had been defaced.

The vandals wrote the word “rat” on the mural, which was being cleaned at the time of this writing. There was also “Adios El Rata – Goodbye, Rat”, and other statements.

The mural was a painting of Alexander-Arnold, which says, “I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool, whose dream has just come true”. TAA was born and raised in Liverpool, and came through the Liverpool academy from 2004 to 2016, when he broke into the first team.

Alexander-Arnold then became one of the best right backs in the world, showing outstanding offensive prowess. He was a key part of two Premier League championship teams in 2020 and 2025. He also won the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022, as well as the Community Shield. In 2019, “TAA” helped Liverpool win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 27-year-old was in three Premier League Teams of the Season and was the Young Player of the Season in 2020. Alexander-Arnold was also in the UEFA Team of the Season in 2019.

However, the defender hasn’t gotten off to a good start after a free transfer to Real Madrid. He has played just four competitive games for Madrid, including four in La Liga, with no goals or assists. Trent did have an assist in five Club World Cup games for Madrid. 

Overall, TAA has been out of shape and battled a hamstring injury, so it has been a turbulent season for the defender.

Will Alexander-Arnold Ever Be Welcome at Anfield Again?

Real Madrid will be popular among UEFA Champions League picks today in their trip to Anfield as an underdog, but the funny part is that Alexander-Arnold might not even play. Manager Xabi Alonso is bringing the right-back along slowly after his injury, but it should be worrying that midfielder Federico Valverde is being preferred in his position.

Whether Alexander-Arnold plays or not, he’s going to receive a hostile reception at Anfield today. Liverpool fans aren’t happy with the way he let his contract run down, so he could leave Liverpool on a free transfer.

However, you could also argue that the club didn’t do enough to keep a star player. That being said, on early returns, neither side (Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold) has looked the same since parting ways.

It will take a long time for Liverpool fans to welcome Alexander-Arnold back to the legendary Anfield stadium, if they ever do. They’re extremely passionate about the club, which should also get some flak for how the situation was handled.