The Dutchman shuffled his pack, playing the likes of Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott in midfield.
After the 2-1 Carabao Cup quarterfinal win, Slot acknowledged the importance of having great reserves
He stated: “Harvey already had a good impact in the game at the weekend against Fulham, so it was good to see he is able to play 90 for him today and even score a goal. Started him off on the right, I felt he almost got a bit bored and didn't touch the ball a lot, so after 15-20 minutes we changed his (position) and were playing him in the midfield. We know he is a better midfielder than he is a winger, but we had to do it like this. So that was pleasing to see.
“If I have to give someone a big compliment it should be Wata Endo because in a different position playing such a good game in these circumstances, that shows you what a quality player he is, but mainly maybe what kind of mentality and personality he has. Good to see them both, but I think it was not only them - but you highlighted them, so I answered your question.”
On bringing in academy talent, he added: “I think this club is known for this. I heard the fans singing for Trent (Alexander-Arnold), the song about the Scouser, I don't know exactly what they sing, but it probably has to do with him coming from the Academy as well. We have already a few starters from our Academy and to see these players that train with us on a daily basis, we know their quality, so it's nice to see that they show (it) on a Premier League level that they can easily play at this level.
“The thing for them is, it's not about easily playing at this level, but you have to compete with Mo (Salah), Virgil (van Dijk) and all these kind of players. It's not enough to be good enough to play at this level, you have to be good enough to play for Liverpool and that is probably the next step they have to make. But they've showed today that these players are capable of playing at a Premier League level, that's for sure.”