Arne Slot has shed light on his decision to substitute Rio Ngumoha during Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield, after home fans voiced their displeasure with boos.

The Reds took an early lead when Ryan Gravenberch netted in the sixth minute, thanks to Ngumoha's impressive work on the left wing. However, Enzo Fernandez equalized for the visitors, and both Curtis Jones and Cole Palmer saw goals disallowed for offside.

Ngumoha, making only his third Premier League start, was replaced by Alexander Isak in the second half—a move that sparked frustration among the Anfield faithful. Slot explained post-match that the teenager was experiencing muscle issues and had signaled to the bench that he might not be able to continue.

"I don't think it was just a few fans booing; many disagreed with the change, which I understand based on his performance," Slot told TNT Sports. "But it makes sense if you know that three minutes before he went to the ground, he started having muscle problems. When I asked him, he said, 'Not sure if I can continue.'"

The Dutch manager acknowledged Ngumoha's popularity, adding, "He played a good 65-70 minutes. As often in football, fans don't know everything. I'm the manager, I make decisions—sometimes people are happy, sometimes not. Today, they clearly weren't. But knowing the reason might make it more understandable."