Gary Neville slams Trent Alexander-Arnold for 'stupid' error despite intense publicity

Gary Neville was heavily critical of Trent Alexander-Arnold during Liverpool's meeting with Wolves after the right-back was shown an early yellow card for kicking the ball away after conceding a foul.

The referee awarded Wolves an early free-kick after Alexander-Arnold went into the back of one of the host's players, and as Wolves prepared to take the free-kick, Alexander-Arnold poked the ball away to delay the restart.

The act earned the defender a needless yellow card inside the opening seven minutes, leaving him with little room for error for the remainder of the match.

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Addressing the incident on co-commentary for Sky Sports, Neville said: "The publicity around this particular rule means that, now, referees are all over it. Trent Alexander-Arnold is stupidly putting himself under pressure."

There have been two high-profile sendings-off in the Premier League for the same indiscretion already this season, with Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard both being shown second yellow cards during Arsenal matches in recent weeks.

Rice was sent off for poking the ball away as Brighton prepared to take a free-kick at the Emirates Stadium in August, before Leandro Trossard succumbed to the same fate after kicking the ball away during Arsenal's draw with Manchester City last weekend.

Speaking about the Trossard incident at the Emirates, Neville said: “They (Arsenal) aren’t learning. I’m not sure they can complain. He has not got a leg to stand on, Trossard.

“It’s a foul, he barges Bernardo Silva out the way and then goes and wellies the ball away. The whistle goes. He knows he’s heard the whistle because he half pulls out of kicking it away. He doesn’t put his foot fully through it.

“They [Arteta and Arsenal’s coaching staff] are giving him a hug. They might not see it the same at the end of the game, they might look on it as stupidity. I think they will be disappointed with him when they reflect upon it.”