Arne Slot ‘understands’ Liverpool fans booing after draw with Burnley

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot accepted it was understandable fans booed after they failed to beat struggling Burnley at Anfield.

Florian Wirtz’s first-half goal – after Dominik Szoboszlai had missed a penalty – barely reflected the hosts’ dominance but they were made to pay for their inability to manage the game as Marcus Edwards equalised with the Clarets’ only shot on target in the 65th minute.

As a result, Liverpool became the first reigning champions in Premier League history to fail to win at home against the three sides promoted from the Sky Bet Championship.

There were loud jeers at the final whistle and Slot – whose side had 32 shots but managed only 11 on target – understood why.

“In my head it wasn’t booing but in my head it was frustration as well,” he said.

“We have to give credit to Burnley for defending, clearing balls off the line, all the things you want to see if you are the Burnley manager, trying everything to prevent us scoring.

“But if you, as Liverpool, are not disappointed by having a draw at home to Burnley then something is completely wrong.

“I completely understand the frustration. I have the same frustrations and the players definitely have the same frustrations as the fans.

“Today was a game where I liked seeing us have even more possession than we would usually have, generating a lot of chances and usually that comes with, if you take more risk, with the other team counter-attacking you but we controlled that really well.

“But in football one team can have two chances – one was almost an own goal for us (when Ibrahima Konate forced Alisson Becker to save at close-range) – and score one goal when the other team has multiple chances and score just one goal as well and then you get the result you get.”

Burnley boss Scott Parker, whose side have not won in 13 matches – which includes nine defeats – praised his players for seizing their opportunity.

“We had to weather a lot in the first half but we showed more of our quality in the second half,” he said.

“We changed a few things at half-time, it was important we were still in the game then, we were braver in possession and well worthy of our goal. It was an incredible finish (by Edwards).

“The penalty was soft but once the referee gives it on-field it’s never going to be overturned. The key for us was getting in at half-time still in the game so we could fix a few things.”

Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe raced down the tunnel at full-time – for good reason.

“Axel’s wife has gone into labour,” said Parker. “It was touch and go whether he would play today as it was going on for about 16 hours but we had a car outside with the engine running and he’s with her now.”