After a disappointing European exit to PSG last week, the pressure was on Liverpool to respond in their first derby match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Just as he did in his debut for the Reds, Virgil van Dijk buried an injury-time header to seal a precious 2-1 victory and secure Merseyside bragging rights.

With a trophyless season now on the cards, Champions League qualification could be crucial in deciding the fate of head coach Arne Slot, who has publicly received the backing of the club’s top brass but has lost the support of portions of the fanbase after a difficult second season.

Slot’s side now needs nine points to make sure they appear in Europe’s premier competition in 2026/27. A top-five finish would both supply prestige and secure the funds to contribute to a summer rebuild of a squad that has looked alarmingly short of depth at points throughout the campaign.

With the out-of-work Xabi Alonso a popular choice amongst many fans to lead his former club into next season, just how secure is Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool head coach?

On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, the Liverpool Echo’s LFC correspondent Paul Gorst gave his thoughts on the future of Arne Slot.

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Paul said: “Fenway Sports Group are determined to give Arne Slot all the time and space he needs to prove them right, that he is the right man to lead them forward.

“Fenway Sports Group still want Arne Slot to be the man in charge, and the phrasing of that was they want him to be in charge because they want him to be a success.

“I’ve never wavered on the idea that they’re going to give Arne Slot certainly until the end of the season, and nothing at the moment has made me change my thinking on that, really.

“If they lose all of these big games that are coming up and they finish actually with more than 20 defeats… then I think question marks are fair to be asked.

“I think they probably are already, but at the moment, it seems as though Slot has the backing of the people who matter

“There’s an enormous job at Liverpool this summer for the sporting director, for the head coach, for the recruitment department.

“I can’t believe that Liverpool have got the wage bill they have and the squad is so thin. That suggests that somewhere along the line, poor decisions have been made and wrong turns have been taken, so they need an awful lot of work.”

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Following Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United and Liverpool’s late-show victory against Everton last weekend, the Reds are now in a strong position to seal a top-five finish in the Premier League and secure Champions League qualification for 2026/27. As Paul reiterates, Arne Slot retains the public backing of the FSG hierarchy, who have shown a reluctance to make knee-jerk decisions around signings or managerial appointments. They have, however, shown a ruthless streak in the past, dispensing with Roy Hodgson mid-season and ending Kenny Dalglish’s second spell as manager despite leading the club to two domestic finals. Brendan Rodgers was also shown the door when it became clear that a quality replacement was available in the form of Jürgen Klopp. For many fans, a similar window of opportunity is now open, given Xabi Alonso is currently unattached. Alonso’s great record at Bayer Leverkusen makes him an attractive choice, and questions remain over Slot’s ability to ‘go again’ following the litany of poor results and performances he has presided over this season.