After suffering nine defeats in their last 12 matches across all competitions for the first time since 1954, Liverpool ended their slump thanks to record signing Alexander Isak's first Premier League goal and Cody Gakpo's late strike.

The win comes after a terrible stretch that increased pressure on Slot, who secured Liverpool's 20th English league title last season.

However, the Dutch coach also cautioned that he noticed similar mistakes from his team that contributed to their recent poor results, with Isak and fellow summer recruit Florian Wirtz both missing clear chances while the score remained 0-0.

"There were some elements like in our other matches and some that were different," he told the press. "The similarities included again failing to convert our early chances.

"The positive was that today, for the first time in many games, the opponent’s first chance didn’t result in a goal."

Slot supports Isak and unused Salah

Wirtz has had a tough start at Liverpool but showed promise on Sunday, starting instead of the unused substitute Mohamed Salah, who was on the bench for the first time in a Premier League match under Slot.

Slot also expressed confidence in Isak, whose prolonged transfer from Newcastle United has affected his match fitness.

The criticism of Isak’s goal drought is "somewhat unfair because ... generally, a number 9 plays more minutes than Alex has so far due to obvious reasons", Slot explained.

While Wirtz and Isak faced criticism during Liverpool’s difficult period, Salah had seemed a certain starter despite his visible confidence issues.

Salah had not been benched at the start of a Premier League game since April 2024, when he and then-manager Jurgen Klopp clashed on the sidelines in a 2-2 draw at West Ham.

But Slot downplayed the importance of this choice, stating: "Mo has had an incredible career at this club and will continue to have a bright future here because he is such an exceptional player.

”(We have) four matches in 10 days with only 14 to 15 outfield players available, so sometimes you have to decide on a particular lineup."