“Then he can speak again” – Manchester City star sends brutal ultimatum to Trent Alexander-Arnold over success comments

Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji has responded in brutal fashion to Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold following comments made by the England international on the success achieved at the Etihad Stadium.

The England international defender caused a stir prior to Manchester City’s meeting with Liverpool last weekend, commenting on the Etihad club’s success and questioning how much it means to the support of Pep Guardiola’s side.

“Looking back on this era, although they’ve won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs, financially,” said Trent Alexander-Arnold of Manchester City.

He continued, “How both clubs have built their teams and the manner in which we’ve done it, probably means more to our fans.”

Now, following on from comeback comments launched by both Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias in separate interviews, Manuel Akanji has taken his opportunity to offer words towards the Liverpool academy graduate.

Speaking in comments relayed by Yahoo Sports following the 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, Akanji insisted that he and his Manchester City teammates were not affected by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s unprompted pre-match comments.

“Probably he tried it to (get into the minds of Manchester City) but it didn’t matter to us,” Akanji said. “I don’t think it affected us. In the end we tried to go on the pitch and show our performance. I mean, it didn’t affect me.”

The Swiss international continued by insisting that until Trent Alexander-Arnold himself achieves what Manchester City have achieved in recent seasons, then he should not comment again on the matter.

“I don’t know why he said it. He didn’t even play (on Sunday),” Akanji continued. “He can’t tell (us how it feels) because he didn’t win it. That’s all I have to say. If you win three titles in one year, or five which we did last year, then he can speak again.”

Manuel Akanji made history alongside his Manchester City teammates during his debut season with the club, claiming the UEFA Champions League title alongside a Premier League and Emirates FA Cup double in England.

2023 was a year of success for Pep Guardiola and his players, as their Treble achieved during the back end of the last season was added to by wins in both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.