'I swore and he was angry with me' - Julian Alvarez hits back at lip-readers as Atletico Madrid striker addresses reported tension with Diego Simeone after match-winning hat-trick

Alvarez’s explosive display against Rayo Vallecano came just days after controversy swirled around him. In the Mallorca game, cameras caught him visibly frustrated after being substituted, and social media lip readers claimed he muttered criticisms at Simeone, sparking rumours of a fallout. With speculation rising over tensions in the Atleti camp, all eyes were on how the Argentine striker would respond on the pitch and off it. The speculations caught more traction after his six-match goal drought and the club's inconsistent display in this year's campaign.

After his hat-trick heroics, Alvarez directly addressed the controversy in a post-match interview.

"The words they said... The lip-reading they did had nothing to do with what I'd said. I swore and he was angry with me, to be honest," he said. "This always happens with social media, but it's all good. Let's keep improving so we don't drop points along the way."

He admitted frustration at being subbed but stressed it was aimed at himself, not Simeone, dismissing the online storm as a misunderstanding blown out of proportion.

If his words weren’t enough, the Argentine let his football do the talking. He netted a superb hat-trick to drag Atletico past Rayo Vallecano, with his third goal - a composed left-footed finish in the dying minutes - sealing three points for the capital club. Asked to pick his favourite, he said: "The third was very nice, it was a left-footed one, and it was right at the end to turn the game around. I'll stick with the third."

For Simeone, there’s no doubt about Alvarez’s importance. “Julian is the best player we have,” he declared, urging the club to keep him long-term. Next up is the Madrid derby on September 27 - another chance for the Argentine to prove once again why Simeone calls him “the best” and why Atleti’s future may rest on his shoulders.