Trent Alexander-Arnold received boos after coming off the bench in Liverpool’s draw against Arsenal.

Arne Slot has explained why he opted to bring on Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal.

Alexander-Arnold played his first game since announcing he would be leaving the Reds at the end of his contract. He is expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer - much to the ire of sections of supporters.

Arne Slot opted to start Conor Bradley at right-back against Arsenal. But with the Northern Ireland international unable to continue when Liverpool led 2-1, Alexander-Arnold was introduced from the bench. It sparked boos from significant portions of home fans inside Anfield and they continued when the vice-captain received possession.

Arsenal equalised through Mikel Merino shortly after Alexander-Arnold’s introduction. But Slot felt that the 26-year-old’s performance in such circumstances was positive. He whipped a free-kick just wide and put in some good balls into the box as Liverpool fell short in their bid to find a winning goal.

Head coach Slot said: “I said to everyone that asked me that question that it is a privilege to live in Europe, where everybody can have his own opinion and everybody can express his own opinion. That is something we saw today as well. A few of them were not happy with him. I think 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 a few of them clapped.

“The only thing I can say about it is that I owe it to the players and to the club and to the staff – for everyone who worked so hard for us to win a game of football – to try to do that. And if we are, after 70 minutes, 2-2 and Conor [Bradley] can’t continue and I have a world-class full-back on the bench, I bring him in. And I think it’s a big compliment for him because you can understand how mixed the emotions were in his head probably as well; that you bring in a performance like that tells you why I think, why everybody thinks, he is a world-class full-back. Because with him we were quite close to winning this game, and that’s what I owe to the players in the dressing room that work so hard every single day: to make decisions to try to win the game.

“It is definitely difficult for him because I think he said himself how difficult it was to leave this football club. And that is something that is important for us to hear as well, because we have to make it as difficult as possible. And fortunately for us many stay, like Virgil [van Dijk] and Mo [Salah]. Trent made the decision to go. But it is the way you want to look at it; I don’t know, I haven’t asked him but maybe he is positively surprised how the reactions were today. I don’t know because I haven’t spoken to him, but it was clear they were mixed reactions so it wasn’t all negative. And as it went onwards, the moment he had to take a free-kick everybody was cheering for him to score – and he was close. So I am not even sure if he has negative feelings about today. Maybe, maybe – but again, I haven’t spoken to him – it’s not even as negative as you think it is.”