Michael
England suffered their first defeat to Hungary in 60 years as Dominik Szoboszlai’s contentious penalty meant the Three Lions began their Nations League campaign with a 1-0 loss in Budapest.
Gareth Southgate’s side had gone 22 matches, excluding penalty shootouts, without defeat but they produced a display lacking in identity 171 days before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Chelsea’s Reece James replaced Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold with an hour gone, just three minutes later, James gave away a penalty
But one of the biggest talking points from the loss in Budapest came as the England team sang the national anthem – this being the Queen’s platinum jubilee weekend.
While the likes of Declan Rice and Mason Mount belted out God Save the Queen, Alexander-Arnold stood silent, enraging loyal England supporters in the process.
It should have come as no surprise, with the Scouser explaining his and the city’s stance on the national anthem in a recent interview with the Guardian.
“It’s the city, as a whole, not just Liverpool fans,” he pointed out.
“They remember what the city’s been through and how Liverpool feels regarding the establishment and how we’ve been treated over the years.
“It’s that feeling of being let down by people in charge and that we haven’t been treated justly.”
But this simple act, and the furious reaction, has delighted many Liverpool fans.
