We showed our mentality — Liverpool boss Slot hails players after Everton win

Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was the star of the show, opening the scoring in the 10th minute with a stunning strike before assisting Hugo Ekitike in the 29th to make it 2-0.

Idrissa Gueye scored a consolation goal for Everton in the second half, but Liverpool withstood the pressure to seal a deserved win and make it five victories from five matches.

Slot was impressed with his team's ability to see out the game, especially given their packed schedule. "Taking everything into account, we had to play our third game in seven games, having the early kick-off," he said.

"I do not care at all about the early kick-off, but I do care if you have to play on Wednesday night, then you have to manage this through the whole week.

"Taking that all into account and winning the derby with a great first-half performance, it is good," Slot continued.

"This is what you get when you are fresh, but we were tired in the second half for obvious reasons. Our mentality kept us in the game because they did not have another chance after their 2-1 goal.

"We showed great mentality and showed great quality when we were fresh in the first half."Slot explained that his tactical decisions throughout the week were all aimed at preparing for this intense derby.

The victory puts Liverpool on a maximum of 15 points from their opening five Premier League games, a commanding start as they look to defend their title.