Arne Slot handed huge Liverpool boost as bold move pays off - 5 talking points vs Everton
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This is what we spotted in the first derby at the Hill Dickinson.Iliman Ndiaye of Everton runs through Curtis Jones and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool.(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside via Getty Images)HILL DICKINSON STADIUM, LIVERPOOL // Liverpool won the first Merseyside derby at Everton's new ground thanks to Virgil van Dijk's header deep into added time, with Mohamed Salah also on the scoresheet.Moments after Iliman Ndiaye had seen a goal ruled out for an offside offense earlier in the move, Salah netted the afternoon's first goal after a great pass from Cody Gakpo parted the Everton defense.Only a few minutes into the second half, though, Beto leveled when Ibrahima Konate switched off and Giorgi Mamardashvili was stretchered off in the process. Freddie Woodman's introduction also offered some extra hope, even though the 29-year-old looked calm and composed, and then there was a familiar sight: Liverpool winning almost with the last kick.David Moyes and Arne Slot.(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Mohamed Salah leaves his markThis was to be Salah's final Merseyside derby, and he certainly left a positive impression in the first half.
His opening goal saw him join Steven Gerrard as Liverpool's record Premier League scorer in this fixture (on nine), and he played with a great deal of determination.Salah worked hard defensively to help out Curtis Jones at right-back and looked faster and sharper in the final third than he has for a while, stepping up on the big occasion, once again giving Vitalii Mykolenko a really stern test.His celebration in front of the traveling Liverpool fans was one that showed how much it meant to him to get on the scoresheet in this fixture once more.Could this be one last iconic Salah image? He desperately wanted to leave a mark, and he certainly did in the first half, even if he faded a little in the second.Mohamed Salah celebrates after putting Liverpool 1-0 ahead against Everton.(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)Alexander Isak gambleJamie Carragher said before the game that it was a gamble to go with Alexander Isak, who was only physically capable of doing 45 minutes against PSG earlier in the week — when he didn't really get many touches.It seemed that he was proven correct.
"The good thing was if you let him start, he has 15 minutes to rest at half-time and go again."Another big-money signing, Florian Wirtz, was not given the opportunity to start the Anfield edition of this game, but the German is closer to being able to cope with the intensity of the Premier League at this stage of the campaign.He too looked like he needed some more time to get used to playing against Everton, though he pressed and ran as hard as he could.As with Isak, the only way of learning and improving is by playing. As Salah and Gakpo stepped up, their deficiencies were compensated for to a point, aided by Van Dijk.Alexander Isak during the Champions League game between Liverpool and PSG.(Image: Michael Regan - UEFA via Getty Images)Liverpool defensive instabilityAnother to be playing for Liverpool for the final time in a derby, Andy Robertson was chosen ahead of Milos Kerkez on this occasion, with his experience and battle-hardenedness in mind."One of the reasons we came up with the line-up, we all know how special this game is, so to have a little bit of experience can help," Slot told Sky Sports ahead of kick-off.Liverpool has not been anywhere near solid enough at times this season as a defensive unit and there were times that Everton seemed to get the other side of the Reds' defense too easily.Curtis Jones, though, playing out of position, was very good in and out of possession, a selection gamble that paid off for Slot.