Liverpool faced Real Madrid at Anfield on matchday 4 of the UCL league phase, and apart from it being a top football match between two legendary football clubs, with it also being a replay of the UCL Finals of 2018 and 2022, which were both won by Real Madrid, the match had more subplots than might have appeared.
Firstly, it was one of the most anticipated matches ever since the league phase draws for this season’s competition were announced. Both sides have been inconsistent in their respective domestic leagues. It was the return of Xabi Alonso to Anfield for the first time since becoming the head coach of Real Madrid, who won the UCL with Liverpool as a player.
However, apart from all of this, a major point of discussion and one which had the eyeballs of football fans from around the world was the return of the English International Trent Alexander-Arnold back at Anfield as a Real Madrid player this time against his former side.
Trent was a Liverpool academy player who rose through the ranks and became the club’s premier right-back for many years, becoming a pivotal member of the Reds’ first team under former manager Jurgen Klopp. Trent left Liverpool after lifting the Premier League title for Real Madrid in the summer this year on a free transfer, a move which was not taken well by many of the Liverpool faithful.
Trent did not start the game and came on in the 81st minute, welcomed by boos and jeers all around by the Anfield crowd when he came on the pitch.
As far as the match is concerned, Alexis Mac Allister scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute to gain a vital victory for Liverpool in the competition. Incidentally, the highlight of the match was when, after scoring the goal, Mac Allister did a peculiar celebration, one which was connected to Alexander-Arnold.
Mac Allister did the same ‘A’ celebration with his fingers after he scored in the game, the one which Trent used to do when he scored during his time at Liverpool.
Fans cannot help but think that the Argentine did the same celebration to mock and refer to Trent departing Liverpool in a not-so-ideal environment.
Many believe it was done to get under the skin of the Englishman, who has not had the best of starts in terms of his personal performance since his move to Madrid. He has been benched for many games so far this season.
However, fans on social media are divided on the real reason behind Mac Allister’s ‘A’ celebration. Some believe it was a deliberate attempt to get under the skin of Trent and mock him.
On the other hand, many fans believe that the celebration had nothing to do with Trent and that Mac Allister did it as a gesture for his baby girl, born in September, who is named Alaia.
So funny our fans made that wholesome Mac Allister celebration for his baby all about Trent…
— NRJ🍄 (@lfcnrj) November 5, 2025
Why are we tryna make everything about him lol just forget about someone who doesn't even play for us.
The couple finally welcomed their baby daughter, Alaia, on 22nd September 2025, and their daughter seems to be the inspiration behind Macallister’s ‘A’ celebration after scoring what eventually turned out to be the winner against Real Madrid.
Image Source: alemacallister/instagram
