Van Dijk’s 100th-Winner Sinks Everton

Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner as Liverpool won the first Premier League Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Beto had cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s strike for Everton before Van Dijk got on the end of Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner in added time.

Just two minutes after Everton had Iliman Ndiaye’s goal disallowed for offside, Salah got on the end of Cody Gakpo’s ball to give Arne Slot’s side the lead against the run of play in the first-half.

David Moyes’ side equalised when Beto got on the end of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s ball, before Van Dijk got the winner in the 248th instalment of this historic rivalry.

Liverpool are seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea and in a strong position to secure Champions League football next season.

Everton started strongly and came close, with Giorgi Mamardashvili making important saves to deny Beto and James Garner.

They thought they had taken the lead when Ndiaye’s strike hit the back of the net in the 27th minute and the home fans went wild, but the video assistant referee (VAR) deemed that Jake O’Brien was offside in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.

Two minutes later the majority of the stadium was silenced after Dwight McNeil lost the ball in his own half and Gakpo combined with Salah, who scored his ninth goal in a Merseyside derby. No player in the Premier League era has more.

Everton were gifted a way back into the game as Liverpool were punished for some sloppy defending when Beto got on the end of Dewsbury-Hall’s ball across goal.

To make matters worse for Liverpool, Mamardashvili was injured when Everton equalised and, with Alisson Becker sidelined, on came Freddie Woodman for his first appearance in a Premier League game since 2021, when he played for Newcastle.

The 29-year-old was tested by Ndiaye as both managers made changes in their search for a winner, with Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha blazing over in added time.

In the 10th minute of 11 added on, Van Dijk scored to break Everton hearts.

Liverpool have scored six 90th-minute winners against Everton in the Premier League – the most for one side against any team in the competition’s history.