‘Shots fired’ - Rio Ferdinand's seven-word verdict after Trent Alexander-Arnold's Man City jibe

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand thinks Trent Alexander-Arnold 'is lucky' Sunday's potential Premier League title race showdown against Manchester City is at Anfield following his comments about the significance of Liverpool trophy wins.

A point separates the two sides at the top of the table ahead of their potentially pivotal meeting on Sunday. Before turning their attention to the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp’s side will begin their Europa League tie with Sparta Prague on Thursday, though Alexander-Arnold has already shared his thoughts on the modern rivalry between City and Liverpool.

"It's difficult. You're up against a machine that's built to win - that's the simplest way to describe City and their organisation," the England defender told Four Four Two. "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. How both clubs have built their teams and the manner in which we've done it, probably means more to our fans."

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City will be in a confident mood heading into the weekend after securing their place in the Champions League quarter-finals, courtesy of a 6-2 aggregate win over Copenhagen. Speaking after the club’s 3-1 second-leg victory on Wednesday, ex-City defender Joleon Lescott responded to the quotes from Alexander-Arnold.

"In regard to the comments, you would have to hear it in the context it was said because it’s easy to see that and think the worst. The