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Image source: Getty ImagesByAadam PatelFootball Reporter1 hour ago252 commentsIn a season that will be forgotten, those Liverpool supporters situated in the corner at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on the banks of River Mersey will never forget today. As Virgil van Dijk smashed in a winning header in the 100th minute, the 3,000 Liverpool fans went wild. Liverpool has once again beaten their local rivals in injury time. In this fixture last year, Everton celebrated an added-time goal when James Tarkowski netted in the final Merseyside Derby held at Goodison Park. No matter what happens now, Liverpool will always be able to boast of being the first team to win a derby at Hill Dickinson. They will have forgotten all about their struggles for an afternoon in the Merseyside sun. Everton came in with a lot of confidence, but it was Liverpool that defied them to take the lead through Mohamed Salah. They deserve credit for the work they did in training on set-pieces, which culminated when Van Dijk got the end of Dominik’s corner in order to exploit a weakness identified by Everton in the days before the game. “At the end, it’s players who have been brilliant and have done so for a long time that have delivered the goods,” said Slot. Pat Nevin said on 5 Live that it was Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah again who had done it. “That goal is probably what Liverpool needs – Champions League football. The Champions League will help them attract a large number of players for next season. Yes, the name Liverpool Football Club is a big draw and it will bring a great deal of players, but the Champions League also helps. It’s a big deal and I think that they will get it after that moment of Virgil van Dijk,” Nevin said. When it comes to days such as this, the outcome is what matters but Slot and Liverpool are aware of the magnitude of the task ahead. The reason they are so confident of securing Champions League football is because Chelsea has lost their last four Premier League matches and no one will be able to catch up to Liverpool, who has lost 10 league games in this season. Can this Liverpool team adopt a real identity? What is needed defensively? How can you get the most out of Florian Isak and Alexander Wirtz? How can Liverpool survive without Salah, and perhaps most importantly, how will they cope with the loss of their star player? Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said to BBC Sport that not being in a Champions League position is a catastrophe for Liverpool. “I think that every win for Liverpool at the moment is important, by hook or crook. It doesn’t really matter how they achieve it. The pressure is on.” “They don’t look cohesive and they aren’t playing well. They missed chances today and were second best during the first half. “Salah scored his second goal for Liverpool in the first half. It was his ninth Merseyside Derby goal – no player in Premier League history has more than Salah. Only Steven Gerrard is on par with Salah. “I will be saying a lot about him in the coming weeks.” Van Dijk told Sky Sports that Van Dijk was important to the team, both on and off-the-field. “He is a great teammate, we have been through highs and lows together. He will be important in the five final games we need to play. “It’ll be emotional not only for him and his wife, but also for us because he is very important to me, the team and our fans. We still have work to do. He knows that, and that’s his main focus. “With a seven point lead over Chelsea and Brentford, and five games left, Liverpool’s task of securing Champions League soccer may well be accomplished in the coming week. Slot will consider this a “acceptable” season, as he said earlier in the year. It may be enough for him to get another chance this summer. His current deal as Liverpool boss expires next summer. Slot told Match of the Day that his players had done what he expected, and what he hoped they would do. They gave Everton an uphill battle. “Scoring is a joy because our away fans today were brilliant. A good day for Liverpool’s red side. “Not a good season but certainly a good day indeed – a day that will live long in the memory for the red half of Merseyside.Related topicsLiverpoolPremier LeagueFootballMore on this storyLatest Liverpool news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Liverpool – what do you want to know?