Virgil van Dijk netted a dramatic stoppage-time header to secure victory in the inaugural Merseyside derby held at Hill Dickinson Stadium, enhancing Liverpool‘s chances of clinching a Champions League spot for the upcoming season.
The center-back managed to break free from the hold of James Tarkowski, powering in a header from Dominik Szoboszlai‘s inswinging corner deep into added time, silencing the home crowd.
This win places the Reds a comfortable seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, with just five matches left in the season, including a home fixture against them.
Mohamed Salah was left frustrated as it seemed his last Merseyside derby was destined to end in disappointment, but van Dijk’s late winner changed that.
The Egyptian international had few remaining milestones to accomplish before departing Anfield, but tying Steven Gerrard’s record of nine derby goals was one of them, which he achieved with his opener in the 29th minute.
Everton, determined to avoid defeat in their new stadium, saw Beto snatch an equalizer with his fourth goal in three games during the second half, but Liverpool’s knack for late winners returned just when it was needed.
The elation among the visiting fans at the final whistle, alongside the individual celebrations of Salah, Andy Robertson, who is also set to leave, and Van Dijk, highlighted the significance of this result, extending beyond just local pride.
Following their midweek exit from the Champions League against Paris St Germain, marking a disheartening fourth loss in five games—Liverpool’s worst form in 15 years leading up to a derby—they needed to make the most of Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.
Although their overall performance still raises concerns, this victory alleviated some of the pressure.
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New signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz appeared bewildered in their first Merseyside derby, with Isak barely involved in 72 minutes, while the German struggled to complete passes effectively.
Makeshift right-back Curtis Jones looked out of place, and even the typically dependable Szoboszlai was unable to make an impact.
It was a result of their pressing finally bearing fruit; Dwight McNeil made a careless backwards pass that reached Cody Gakpo, who then delivered a perfect through-ball for Salah to finish at the far post.
Prior to that, Beto had almost scored following a diving save from Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Jones had made a risky challenge against Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the box, while Beto squandered a one-on-one opportunity by shooting wide.
Additionally, Iliman Ndiaye had a goal disallowed after VAR found that Jake O’Brien was offside in the buildup, affecting Jordan Pickford‘s long pass.
Salah’s fifth goal in just eight games helped to settle Liverpool, as he aimed to make his last appearance against their rivals memorable, even contributing defensively by blocking a cross from Vitaliy Mykolenko.
However, Liverpool’s defensive fragility reared its head when Ibrahima Konaté was caught flat-footed. This allowed Beto to capitalize on a well-placed pass from Dewsbury-Hall to score the equalizer in the 54th minute.
Goalkeeper Mamardashvili, filling in due to Alisson Becker’s injury, had to be substituted after a collision, leading to a Premier League debut for Freddie Woodman, who only recently transitioned from playing for Preston against Portsmouth.
Despite having limited experience in the Premier League, Woodman handled his first testing shot from Ndiaye well, and although Robertson missed a chance at the other end, Van Dijk’s late goal sealed the deal.