LONDON— Arne Slot praised the mentality of his Liverpool team after they grabbed a last-gasp winner against Everton on Sunday to close in on a Champions League qualification spot.
The Reds started their Premier League title defence strongly but collapsed from late September and will finish the season trophyless.
However, wins against Fulham and Everton have taken fifth-placed Liverpool seven points clear of Chelsea, with the top five sides guaranteed Champions League football next season, AFP reported.
Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead in the first derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, only for Beto to level after halftime.
But captain Virgil Van Dijk scored with a header in the 100th minute to seal all three points for Liverpool.
Match-winmner Van Dijk admitted after the game that the season had not been good enough by Liverpool’s standards.
“We haven’t felt a lot of joy this season, yet,” said Liverpool boss Slot. “I completely agree with Virgil this season has not been of our standards.”
He added: “Going out in the quarterfinal 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.”
Slot said goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, in for the injured Alisson Becker, had been been taken to hospital with a “big wound” as Everton scored their equaliser.
He was replaced by Freddie Woodman. “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,” Slot said.
The Dutchman bemoaned his team’s ill luck with injuries this season.
Forward Hugo Ekitike suffered a long-term Achilles injury during last week’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, adding his name to the list.
“Usually third goalkeepers don’t play a lot,” said Slot.
“But in a season like ours, I think if you are playing at the moment in the under-8s of Liverpool, you should be ready for making your debut because it’s unbelievable what’s happening to us.”
