Virgil van Dijk netted a thrilling 100th-minute goal, leading Liverpool to victory in the inaugural Premier League Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Beto had negated Mohamed Salah’s goal for Everton before Van Dijk connected with Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner in stoppage time.
Only two minutes after Everton had Iliman Ndiaye’s goal ruled out for offside, Salah capitalized on Cody Gakpo’s pass to put Arne Slot’s team ahead against the flow of the game in the first half.
David Moyes’ team leveled the score when Beto connected with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s pass, then Van Dijk scored the decisive goal in the 248th clash of this legendary rivalry.
Liverpool hold a seven-point advantage over sixth-placed Chelsea and are well-positioned to achieve Champions League football for the next season.
Everton kicked off with intensity and nearly scored, as Giorgi Mamardashvili made crucial saves to block attempts from Beto and James Garner.
They believed they had scored when Ndiaye’s shot found the net in the 27th minute, causing the home supporters to erupt, but the video assistant referee (VAR) ruled that Jake O’Brien was offside in the play, resulting in the goal being nullified.
Two minutes later, most of the stadium fell silent as Dwight McNeil lost possession in his half, and Gakpo linked up with Salah, who netted his ninth goal in a Merseyside derby. No athlete in the Premier League era has a greater number.
To make matters worse for Liverpool, Mamardashvili was hurt as Everton equalized, and with Alisson Becker out, Freddie Woodman came on for his first Premier League match since 2021, when he was with Newcastle.
Ndiaye put the 29-year-old to the test as both managers changed their tactics in quest of a winner, with Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha scoring in extra time.
Van Dijk scored to shatter Everton’s hearts in the tenth minute of extra time.
Liverpool has scored six Premier League goals in the 90th minute against Everton, the most by a single team against any other team in competition history.
