Joleon Lescott has fired back at Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Liverpool defender suggested trophies mean more to his club’s fans than Manchester City’s.

Alexander-Arnold added fuel to the fire ahead of the Premier League top two’s sides clashing this weekend, pointing to the finances available at City in comparison to those at Liverpool.

The two clubs will do battle at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with the Reds looking to move four points clear from their rivals with a win, while City would leapfrog the current leaders with victory.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Lescott, having just watched his former side book their place in the quarter-finals with a 6-2 aggregate win over Copenhagen, suggested Alexander-Arnold was wrong to make the suggestion this week. 

Joleon Lescott (pictured) has hit back at comments made by Trent Alexander-Arnold about Manchester City fans

Alexander-Arnold (pictured) had argued that trophies mean more to Liverpool’s supporters than Manchester City’s

The defender said that the ‘situations at both clubs, financially’ is the difference between the two sides

‘In regards to the comments, you would have to hear it or see the context in which it was said, because it’s easy to read that and think the worst,’ Lescott said.

‘The thing I would question is the fans. I don’t think you can say any game, any trophy means more to your fans than another set of fans because it’s equally as important to anyone.

Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, said: ‘Wow. Shots fired. He’s lucky it’s at Anfield,’ referring to this weekend’s game.

‘Yeah, that’s obviously a factor,’ Lescott replied. 

Lescott said that trophies are ‘equally as important to anyone’, while Ferdinand claimed the defender is ‘lucky’ this weekend’s game between the two sides is at Anfield

Liverpool and City will go head-to-head in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash, though Alexander-Arnold is injured

‘It’s tough,’ Alexander-Arnold told FourFourTwo this week. ‘We’re up against a machine that’s built to win – that’s the simplest way to describe City and their organisation.

‘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.’