Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes it “makes sense” his side were booed off at Anfield after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea on Saturday.
A win would have secured Champions League football for the Reds next season, and they appeared on course for all three points with a fine Ryan Gravenberch strike gave them a sixth-minute lead.
But Liverpool conceded a poor 35th-minute equaliser as Enzo Fernandez’s in-swinging free-kick was allowed to creep into the bottom-left corner.
Cole Palmer then had a goal disallowed for offside for Chelsea, before Curtis Jones suffered the same misfortune at the other end, with Liverpool enduring further frustration as Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk hit the woodwork.
Slot and Gravenberch respond to Liverpool boos
And Slot’s men could not find a winner against a Chelsea side that had lost six successive Premier League games going into the fixture, leading the fans to voice their displeasure following the full-time whistle.
“We started off really well and got a big chance from a set-piece which was close to making it 2-0,” Slot told TNT Sports.
“Unfortunately, like last week [against Manchester United], we conceded a set piece. It was such a sloppy goal.
“The second half I saw a completely different intensity. We went close a few times. Like so many times this season, we hit the post and bar. We were not able to control their players. They played with a lot of midfielders today.”
Asked about the booing, Slot replied: “That’s probably got something to do with us not winning. It completely makes sense people are disappointed if Liverpool don’t win.”
However, goalscorer Gravenberch had a different view.
“To be honest, we need them [the fans] behind us,” Gravenberch told TNT.
“OK we didn’t win, but I don’t really think we deserved this [reaction]. The fans have to be behind us for the full 90 minutes because when they were behind us in the second half, we were pressing really well. We need them. Hopefully they wouldn’t do it again in the next two games.”
