Virgil van Dijk rose above the opposition in the final minute of extra time to head Liverpool to a dramatic 2-1 win over Everton, delivering the first ever Merseyside derby triumph at the newly‑opened Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Dutch centre‑back met a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai with a powerful header that sealed the victory, capping off a match that swung back and forth like a classic derby. The game began with Liverpool taking the initiative.
Mohamed Salah, ever the talisman, opened the scoring in the first half after a sublime pass from Cody Gakpo. Salah timed his run perfectly, slipped the ball past Everton goalkeeper Jake O'Brien and tucked it away, giving the Reds a deserved lead and marking the first official derby goal at the stadium. The early strike set the tone, but Everton responded with vigor.
Everton’s Brazilian forward Beto was a constant threat in the opening stages, forcing Liverpool’s defence to stay alert. He came close to breaking the deadlock twice, first being denied by a spectacular save from Liverpool’s young goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and then missing a clear chance due to a poor finish. The visitors kept pressing, and a VAR check later confirmed that Jake O'Brien had been off‑side in the build‑up to Salah’s goal, adding a layer of controversy to the early lead.
The second half saw Everton raise their tempo. After a period of sustained pressure, Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, which Beto met with a clinical finish to level the score at 1‑1.
The equaliser came early in the second half and shifted the momentum in Everton’s favour. The Brazilian striker appeared sharper than Liverpool’s new signing Alexander Isak, who struggled to find his rhythm throughout the match. Both teams created chances, but the decisive moment arrived in the 100th minute.
With the game teetering on a knife‑edge, Szoboszlai swung in a dangerous corner from the right. Van Dijk, using his height and timing, rose above James Tarkowski and powered a header into the back of the net. The stadium erupted as the Dutch captain delivered what would become the first ever winning goal in a Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson.
The result propelled Liverpool seven points clear of sixth‑placed Chelsea with five games remaining, strengthening their push for a Champions League berth. Meanwhile, Everton’s manager David Moyes lamented the missed opportunity, noting that his side had fought hard but ultimately fell short of a top‑six finish and remained tenth in the Premier League table. Key player ratings reflected the intensity of the encounter.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah earned the Player of the Match award for his opening goal and overall influence. The Liverpool lineup featured Mamardashvili, Szoboszlai, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Wirtz, Salah, Isak and Gakpo, with Woodman, Ngumoha, Frimpong, Mac Allister and Kerkez on the bench.
Everton fielded Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, McNeil, Dewsbury‑Hall, Ndiaye and Beto, with Barry, George and Keane as substitutes. Post‑match reactions highlighted the significance of the win. Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher praised the performance, stating, "The result is absolutely huge for Liverpool when you consider the Chelsea result yesterday. When that board went up for 11 minutes, I would have shaken with anyone and taken a point from a Liverpool point of view.
With the situation with the goalkeeper, Everton were a little bit more threatening. Liverpool were a small team towards the end of that game and I was fearful of set‑pieces. When you think of how Liverpool have won this game – two of the absolute legends of the club have done it. They won't be here much longer.
Salah and probably Van Dijk in 12 months' time. Two of the absolute greats.
Salah has done it again against Liverpool's biggest rivals, as he always does. Against Everton or Man Utd, you can always rely upon him." Salah, speaking to Sky Sports, expressed his delight: "It feels great.
The most important thing was to help the team to settle down and feel more confident. We knew before the game it was going to be tricky, it was going to be difficult and I'm glad we managed to win. I just want to keep scoring and help the team to the Champions League. Hopefully I can say farewell in the right way." Van Dijk also shared his thoughts on the victory: "Today it was massive in the situation we are in, where we are in the hunt for the Champions League spots.
That's definitely not Liverpool‑worthy in my opinion, but it is the reality and it was important we got the win today and I'm glad we did. We've got five more games left against teams that are also fighting for the Champions League spots. Every game is a big one and we are very disappointed as a whole for the season we are having because, with the quality we have, it's below standards. But we have to keep fighting, keep going and make the best out of this difficult season we are having.
That's the reality, but onto the next." Moyes, addressing the press, admitted his side deserved a better result: "We did not deserve the outcome we got. Football can be cruel sometimes. You have to bounce back from adversity." He added that the players had shown resilience and that the loss would not derail their season plans. The match also featured several injury incidents.
Mamardashvili suffered a serious wound after colliding with Beto during the equaliser and had to be replaced by Freddie Woodman. Manager Arne Slot later confirmed that Mamardashvili was taken to hospital for treatment.
Later, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite left the field with an injury and was substituted by Michael Keane, prompting concerns from Moyes about his defensive options. Overall, the derby delivered everything fans could hope for: early drama, a resilient comeback, a nail‑biting extra‑time finish, and post‑match analysis that underscored the importance of the result in the wider context of the Premier League title race and European qualification battles. The victory not only gave Liverpool a psychological boost but also reinforced their claim as one of the league’s most competitive sides heading into the final stretch of the season.