'I just don't understand' - Rio Ferdinand offers verdict on 'horrific' Liverpool performance

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has fired criticism at Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold for his performance in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City - despite his point-saving contribution.

Alexander-Arnold scored Liverpool's equaliser at the Etihad Stadium and his creative display won praise from the likes of Ferdinand's old United and England team-mate Gary Neville, who named the right-back as his man of the match on Sky Sports.

Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk also praised his vice-captain for the way he played against City attacker Jeremy Doku, who looked dangerous throughout Saturday's showdown.

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Ferdinand, however, was left aghast by the Liverpool man's "horrific defensive performance".

He said on the Vibe with Five Podcast: "Listen, on the ball he does things we've rarely seen from a full-back, his passing, his range over varying distances, he can give you however you want it - curled, drilled, fade it, the lot. Just have that same intensity defensively. This is the thing that is mad for me, I've seen him do it. I always go back to the game where (Leroy) Sane at City was on fire, comes to Anfield and Trent locks him down one-v-one.

"He scores, yeah, but I look at their goal and think he should've done a lot better against (Nathan) Ake. I just don't understand it. There's a passiveness when he has to defend, there's no intensity. When he goes to engage the winger, I don't see those soft knees ready to explode, he goes in like he's forgot about the fundamentals about defending. One-v-one you've got to go in, you've got to be lower,