Arne Slot’s reaction to the was commendable from Slot was always going to be interesting. He’s not used to setbacks, let alone whopping great embarrassments like that Liverpool was dealt on Sunday.

It was just his fourth loss since taking over from the Plymouth slip-up - two of those were incidental with the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur overturned in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and the 3-2 result at PSV Eindhoven coming in a dead-rubber game. Prior to Sunday, September’s Nottingham Forest defeat was the only real blemish on Slot’s record so far - even that has proved less distressing given the form of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the months since.

But the Plymouth slip-up really was galling for Slot who named a weakened XI but still will have expected more from a side that finished with Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz on the pitch.

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The immediate response Jurgen Klopp, who pulled no punches and made no excuses. Instead, he congratulated Plymouth on what he clearly felt was a well-deserved victory. “Great game from Plymouth. Good game plan. They deserve all credit for the performance. We were not having a very good day and a result like this is the outcome,” was the Dutchman’s response afterwards.

Speaking two days on, ahead of his first Merseyside derby, it was notable how calm Slot remained about the debacle in Devon. He noted how the early withdrawal of Joe Gomez, the inability to select the unfit Curtis Jones and Nunez’s trip to Spain for the birth of his child impacted the team’s preparations.

Not that he used it as an excuse. “There were some circumstances that weren’t perfect,” he explained. “The idea was to play with a stronger team than we did, but still this team should have been able to win that game.”

There was also a warning to expect an even more intense atmosphere at Goodison Park when Liverpool makes the final trip across Stanley Park on Wednesday night, calling on the side to be ‘mentally strong’, to ‘stand up’ against a team that ‘wants to fight with you’. Reading between the lines, it wasn’t just the performance Slot wasn’t happy with last weekend from his much rotated side, but the players’ application.

“It should have an impact because if you are working at a club like this you should compete for every trophy, we've said this from the start, and so to go out at the second occasion, to lose against Plymouth is not acceptable,” he added. A harsh message delivered in soft tones.

“Us as a team, and I think our fans are disappointed by that result. Now we have to show a different side of us tomorrow because it wasn’t only the result but the performance was far from what Liverpool's standards are as well.”

This Liverpool side has not needed to show a ‘different side’ so far under Slot and the response at Everton could be telling. With the majority of his starters missing at Plymouth and expected back at Goodison an improvement should be expected anyway, but it will be intriguing to see how the Liverpool boss ensures one defeat doesn’t impact squad morale.

In terms of hurdles to overcome, this falls into the ‘minor’ category, but still represents a mishap Slot and Liverpool must bounce back from all the same. The ability to immediately recover is the hallmark of trophy-winning sides and it was lacking last season as form and performances unravelled in April.

A 2-0 loss at Goodison Park all but ended any title hopes in Klopp’s last campaign on a celebratory night for the blue half of Liverpool. Everton is planning another party on Wednesday, but a ruffled Slot has different plans.