Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal in the 100th minute as Liverpool defeated Everton 2-1 in the first-ever Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Liverpool captain stood over James Tarkowski in the most dramatic of finals, as Arne Slott’s big players rose to his feet, nodding to his team’s victory. Mohamed Salah put the Reds ahead in the first half, but Beto equalized early in the second half.
Manager David Moyes would have felt that was the bare minimum his team deserved after such a combative performance, but when Dominik Szoboszlai waved in a corner and Van Dijk scored a stunning final word, the nightmare of a derby defeat at their new home became reality.
With this victory, Liverpool moved seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea with five games remaining, and took a big step towards qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Moyes’ side missed out on a chance to move up to sixth place, but remain in 10th place in the Premier League.
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Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead shortly after Iliman Ndiaye’s goal was canceled out.
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Beto scores Everton’s first Merseyside derby goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium
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Virgil van Dijk heads home with a dramatic 100th minute win in the Merseyside derby!
Merseyside derby developments
Everton started their 248th Merseyside derby – but their first at this stadium – with real purpose, with Beto twice coming close to breaking through. First he was denied by Giorgi Mamadashvili, then by his own poor finishing. For Ndiaye, it was a flag.
It took a VAR check to discover Jake O’Brien was offside in the build-up. Everton fans were still coming to terms with their disappointment, but it was here that Salah latched onto Codi Gakpo’s brilliant pass and confirmed himself as the true scorer of Derby’s first goal.
Salah endured a difficult final season in a Liverpool shirt, but while Alexander Isak and Florian Wirths struggled around him, the Egyptian stepped up and left fans with a cherished memory by etching his name into Derby history once again.
But importantly, Beto wasn’t finished. Everton picked up the tempo again in the second half, and their big striker latched onto Keiynan Dewsbury-Hall’s inviting cross to equalize. He looked much sharper than Isaac throughout and finally reaped the rewards.
However, Everton also had a problem. The match started with Salah’s first Merseyside derby goal at the new stadium and ended with Van Dijk’s first winning goal. The two Liverpool icons stole the show, much to the delight of the away supporters.
Carragher: great for Liverpool
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher at Hill Dickinson Stadium:
“This result is absolutely huge for Liverpool considering yesterday’s result against Chelsea.
“When that board went up for 11 minutes, I would have rocked it with anyone and taken the points from a Liverpool point of view.
“Everton were a bit more threatening because of their goalkeeping situation. Liverpool were a small team towards the end of the game and were afraid of set-pieces.
“If you look at how Liverpool won this game, two of the club’s absolute legends did it. They won’t be here for long, Salah and probably Van Dijk in 12 months.
“Two absolute greats. Salah did it again, as always, against Liverpool’s biggest rivals. You can always count on him, whether it’s against Everton or Man United.”
Salah wants to say goodbye in the right way
Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah told Sky Sports.
“It feels great. The most important thing was to help the team calm down and become more confident.”
“We knew before the match that it was going to be a difficult match, but I’m glad we managed to win.
“I just want to keep scoring goals and help the team qualify for the Champions League. I hope I can say goodbye in the right way.”
Van Dijk: Substandard season
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports:
“Today’s victory was huge given the situation we are in as we aim to qualify for the Champions League.
“In my opinion, it’s definitely not what Liverpool deserved, but that’s the reality and it was important that we were able to win today and I’m glad we won.
“We still have five games left against teams who are also competing for Champions League qualification.
“I’m very disappointed about the season as a whole because every game was important and our quality was below standard.
“But we have to keep fighting, keep moving forward and make the most of this difficult season. That’s the reality, but for next season.”
Moyes: “Soccer can be cruel”
Everton manager David Moyes said in a press conference:
“We didn’t deserve this result. Football can be cruel sometimes and you have to bounce back from adversity.
Asked if this will affect the team, Moyes added:
“I don’t think that will happen. That being said I think the players did a great job. There were periods when Liverpool were in control, but especially in the first 20 minutes we had a lot of control. I don’t think we gave Liverpool too many chances throughout the game. The players did a good job.”
Merseyside derby injury
As Beto scored Everton’s equaliser, Mamadashvili was injured when he collided with the striker on the line. The goalkeeper had to be replaced by Freddie Woodman. “Giorge had a big wound and had to go to the hospital, so let’s take a look at him,” Slott said afterward.
Liverpool’s manager downplayed his team’s injury problems this season in a press conference. “If you’re playing for Liverpool’s Under-8s team, you should be ready for your debut because what’s happening to us is unbelievable.”
For the home team, Jarrad Branthwaite was forced off injured late in the game and was replaced by Michael Keane. Moyes was unable to confirm details of his issue, but admitted losing defenders was a concern. “I’m worried,” he said.
