ReactionArne Slot press conference: Every word on Everton 1-2 Liverpool, derby-day mentality and more
Virgil van Dijk scored the winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time to snatch all three points for the Reds on Sunday, in the first derby played at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Earlier, Mohamed Salah's first-half opener had been cancelled out by Beto soon after the restart.
The victory leaves Liverpool seven points above sixth-placed Chelsea with five matches remaining in the race for Champions League qualification.
Read Slot's assessment from his post-match press conference below.
On the psychological importance of Liverpool scoring a stoppage-time winner after having conceded several earlier this season…
If I'm correct – but maybe I'm saying something wrong now – it's been a while since we conceded in extra time. So, at this moment of time, when I see the board going up for extra time, that's not my first thought. And when I looked at my players it was definitely not my first thought, because I think in that spell we were getting closer and closer to scoring a goal.
That's an unbelievable compliment towards these players because we've played five games in 15 days with mainly the same players. We had to finish the game without a right full-back and started it without a right full-back. By the way, he did really well [there], Curtis Jones. With our third goalkeeper, with a No.9 that has played there in the past but is usually known as a right winger. And then to show what they showed is a big, big, big compliment to the mentality of this team.
On how significant the momentum gained by going seven points ahead of Chelsea is…
Yeah, of course that's very important because we are, as everyone can understand, focused on qualifying for the Champions League. But I think in the lead-up to this game it was not as much about the league table, it's also about representing Liverpool and four days ago we paid our respect for the enormous tragedy that happened in Hillsborough. But we also use this for the game today because it's a privilege to represent this club and today they showed what it means to the players to represent this club. And the fans were, as they've been throughout the whole season, a big, big, big support for us. And to beat them then in the first game in their new stadium after what I just said, the week we had, is an enormous compliment to everybody involved in Liverpool FC.
On it being a 'big moment' in Liverpool's season...
Yeah, I don't think we've had a lot of big moments yet this season – and when we had these big moments, because we scored earlier in extra time of extra time, but then we were able to concede afterwards. So, we haven't felt a lot of joy this season, yet. I completely agree with Virgil this season has not been of our standards.
Going out in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and the Champions League against, from open play, the two best teams in the world, with two great managers, with unlimited resources, that can happen, let's put it that way. But in the league, of course, we are far from where we want to be but we have to accept that situation because we've dropped so many points after playing in Europe.
That's why it's also nice now, after a game in Europe, not to concede in the last minute but to score, after a game in Europe, the winner in extra time from a set-piece, which you maybe would expect them to score from, but we did.
On the injury to Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman replacing him...
Is there anything that surprises you when it comes to injuries with us this season? Maybe I already envisaged it because I had two goalkeepers on the bench today, which I usually normally don't have, but of course has everything to do with the availability of all the other positions. Freddie did a great job.
Giorgi had to go to hospital, big wound, so let's see how he will be. But Freddie deserves a lot of credit because if you have to come in just after conceding the 1-1 and the fans were ready for it, but he did his job really well. Kept his calm in a difficult moment where he was doubting if he should catch the ball, yes or no, and he kept his nerves and worked so hard to have this moment.
Usually third goalkeepers don't play a lot, but in a season like ours, I think if you are playing at the moment in the U8s of Liverpool you should be ready for making your debut because it's unbelievable what's happening to us.