Arne Slot makes feelings on Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool boos clear

Arne Slot makes feelings on Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool boos clear

Arne Slot gives his take on the Liverpool supporters' booing of Trent Alexander-Arnold after the 2-2 draw with Arsenal

Arne Slot shouts out his instructions to his Liverpool players during the draw with Arsenal (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images )

Arne Slot refused to criticise the Liverpool fans who booed Trent Alexander-Arnold after his second-half introduction in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Arsenal. Alexander-Arnold, who confirmed his intention to leave the club at the end of his contract in June last Monday (May 5), was named on the bench in favour of Conor Bradley by Slot.

Goals from Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz gave the Premier League champions a healthy first-half advantage but the Gunners responded after the break through Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino, who was later sent off for a second bookable offence when he took down Diogo Jota.

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Alexander-Arnold was part of a trio of changes by Slot with a little under 25 minutes to play, alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez.

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And the vice-captain was subjected to vociferous jeering upon his arrival and most notably when he touched the ball for the first time.

Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent and Slot says supporters are entitled to feel however they like about the departure of the Academy graduate.

"I said to everyone that asked this question that it is a privilege to live in Europe where everyone can have his own opinion and express their own opinion and that is what we saw today," the Liverpool head coach said.

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"Some of them were not happy with him. All of them are not happy with him leaving the club but a few of them showed it in a way that they booed him and some of them clapped.

"The only thing I can say is I owe it to the players and staff who work so hard to win a game of football. To try to do that and if, after 70 minutes, Conor can’t continue and I have a world-class full back on the bench I bring him in and it's a big compliment to him.

"You can understand the mixed emotions going through his head and he can produce a performance like that tells me why I think and everyone else thinks he's a world-class full-back.

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"With him, we were quite close to winning the game and that's what I owe to every player in the dressing room who works so hard every day."

Slot added: "It is definitely difficult for him [to leave]. He said himself how difficult it was to leave this club and that is important for us as well, we have to make it as difficult as possible. Fortunately for us, many stay like Virgil (van Dijk) and Mo (Mohamed Salah).

"It's the way you want to look at it, I haven't asked him. Maybe he is positively surprised how the reactions were, I don't know, I haven't spoken to him.

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"It was clear there were mixed reactions, it wasn't all negative and as it went onwards, the moment he had to take the free-kick, everybody was cheering for him to score and he was close.

"I am not sure if he has negative feelings about today... maybe, maybe, I haven't spoken to him. It's not even that negative as you suppose it is."

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