Virgil van Dijk scored a 100th-minute winner as Liverpool left it late to beat Everton in the first Merseyside derby to be played at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and claim a huge Premier League victory.
Mohamed Salah had struck Liverpool’s first goal at Everton’s new stadium just two-and-a-half minutes after Iliman Ndiaye thought he had given the hosts a deserved lead, only to see his strike disallowed for an offside in the build-up.
Everton responded well in the second half and pulled themselves level when Beto slid in to finish Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cross, which left Liverpool turning to their third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman after an injury to Giorgio Mamardashvili.
Substitute Rio Ngumoha had a very late chance to win the derby for Liverpool but, in the last minute of 11 minutes of stoppage time, Van Dijk rose to head in a corner and secure a famous win for the visitors.
It leaves Liverpool seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot, with five games of the season remaining. Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester United last night.
Virgil van Dijk’s first goal for Liverpool came as he rose from an inswinging corner from the left to head in a late winner against Everton in the FA Cup third round. Eight years on from the captain’s dramatic debut at Anfield, Van Dijk provided another historic Merseyside derby moment when he headed in Liverpool’s winner at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Liverpool have conceded seven goals in stoppage-time in the Premier League this season, losing games at Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Wolves and against Manchester City. But this was an call-back to Liverpool’s run at the start of the season, when they won games late on against Bournemouth and Newcastle. Liverpool are often involved in late drama, but Arne Slot could reflect that was about time it went his side’s way.
It could be crucial in the race to finish in the top-five, which is what Liverpool’s failed Premier League title defence has come down to after recent exits from the Champions League and FA Cup. After Chelsea’s defeat at home to Manchester United last night, Liverpool have opened up a seven-point advantage over the sixth-placed Blues with five games to go. That is surely insurmountable.
Aston Villa grabbing a late winner in a 4-3 thriller against Sunderland is a further blow to Chelsea’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League. With five games to go there is still room for some twists and turns, but anything other than a win for Liam Rosenior’s side at Brighton on Tuesday could mean the race for the top five is realistically over.
Part of Mohamed Salah’s legacy at Anfield is his outstanding record against Liverpool’s two biggest rivals: Manchester United and Everton. On his last Merseyside derby, Salah made sure to bag himself another record, and write his name into the history of this fixture one last time before he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season.
Just a couple of moments after Iliman Ndiaye thought he had scored the first Merseyside derby goal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Salah was clinical as he finished first-time from Cody Gakpo’s excellent ball across the face of goal. After scoring Liverpool’s last goal at Goodison Park, he had their first in Everton’s new home.
It also took Salah level with Steven Gerrard for the most Premier League goals in the Merseyside derby, with nine. Like this one, many of those finishes had been slipped, cooly, past Jordan Pickford, leaving England’s No 1 with no chance.
Everton could rue losing the ball in the build-up, with Dwight McNeil giving it away as the hosts looked to build from the back. But Liverpool, and Salah, were ruthless. It rather compounds the strangeness of Arne Slot’s decision not to start him against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
Moments after Iliman Ndiaye's goal was ruled out, Mohamed Salah gives Liverpool the lead in the Merseyside derby 😱 pic.twitter.com/UgNLj0l8cq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2026
Liverpool could enter a crucial stretch of their season down to their third-choice goalkeeper after Giorgio Mamardashvili was stretchered off with an injury sustained when Beto slid in to score Everton’s equaliser. It was unclear if Beto or the recovering Andy Robertson collided with Mamardashvili, but the Georgia international was left in serious pain.
It meant Freddie Woodman made just his second appearance for Liverpool, and Premier League debut for the Reds, as a second-half substitute. With Everton pushing for a winner, it was difficult circumstances for the 29-year-old to come into, and they was a nervous moment as he had to come out from his box to head away after Virgil van Dijk guided the ball back to him.
Woodman may now be required to play a significant part in Liverpool’s run-in as they aim to finish in the top-five and qualify for the Champions League. Alisson Becker may not return before the end of the month and Liverpool’s No 1 has been out since March with his own injury issues. Woodman’s only previous appearance for Liverpool came in the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup earlier this season and he may need to face the Eagles again when they travel to Anfield next weekend. After that, Liverpool go to Manchester United on Sunday 3 May.
These will be big challenges for an inexperienced goalkeeper, but it was telling Liverpool’s players surrounded Woodman at the full-time whistle.
With Hugo Ekitike sidelined for the rest of the season, and much longer, this was another difficult day for Liverpool’s two other expensive signings in Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Neither looked ready for the frantic nature of a Merseyside derby away from home, with Isak still working his way up to full fitness and Wirtz still adjusting to the physicality of the Premier League.