Virgil van Dijk winner really does ‘mean more’ for Liverpool star after Everton agony

EVERTON 1-2 LIVERPOOL: Virgil van Dijk scored in the 10th minute of stoppage time to snatch all three points for Arne Slot’s side, who look well poised to qualify for the Champions League

Thankfully, Liverpool have long since ditched a marketing campaign based on the slogan ‘This Means More’. But this meant more to Virgil van Dijk, make no mistake about that.

It is five-and-a-half years since the Liverpool captain required knee surgery after a challenge by Jordan Pickford at Goodison Park. He has never publicly held any grudge, but his headed winner deep into eleven minutes of stoppage time looked understandably sweet to him.

In fact, it would be harsh to criticise him for celebrating and gloating in the faces of Everton fans who responded with predictable missile-throwing anger. But if Van Dijk felt it was an extra-special goal – his sixth of the season – because of what happened in any past fixture, he probably also felt it carried more significance because of the season he and his side have had.

Van Dijk has not been at his consistent best and he has had to front up after every disappointment in Liverpool’s ill-fated Premier League title defence. At times, it has clearly been painful for him.

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And his winner was not just crucial for parochial reasons, it was crucial for Arne Slot and for Liverpool’s plans. As Chelsea unravel in serious style, Liverpool now have a seven-point cushion in the skirmish for Champions League places.

After this weekend, the top five look pretty done and dusted. Had Everton won, they could have maintained hopes of being involved in that particular mix and they had their chances here.

But a bad day was made worse by what looked like a recurrence of a serious hamstring injury for Jarrad Branthwaite, the Everton defender in tears as he was taken off on a stretcher late in the second half. Had he not suffered such horrendous misfortune, he might have prevented Van Dijk converting Dominik Szoboszlai’s 100th-minute corner.

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But if there was anything specific that Everton could blame for their defeat it was their failure to go ahead during an opening spell when they carried by far the greater threat. David Moyes appeared to hold the referee responsible for that and Chris Kavanagh did indeed set the tone for his performance by deciding Curtis Jones’ nudge of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the penalty area had been legal.

Kavanagh certainly did not give Everton a great deal but it was not his fault that Beto farcically shanked his effort when clean through in a central position. Nor was it his fault that Jake O’Brien allowed himself to be caught marginally offside in the build-up to what Iliman Ndiaye thought was the first derby goal on the royal blue banks of the Mersey.

And almost predictably, the VAR intervention was followed by a goal for its beneficiaries. Under a high Liverpool press, Dwight McNeil gave possession to Cody Gakpo, whose pass into the path of Mohamed Salah was first class.

And for some time, it looked as though Salah’s ninth Merseyside derby goal – joining Steven Gerrard as the highest-scoring player in the fixture – might be decisive, in that it deflated Everton spirit in an instance. Which is why Beto’s equaliser ten minutes into the second half was expected by very few.

It was a good finish from Beto – from comical to clinical in the space of a game – but he was not tracked properly by Andy Robertson, in the same way the provider, Dewsbury-Hall, was not tracked properly by Ibrahima Konate. In the act of scoring, Beto inadvertently injured Giorgi Mamardashvili, which meant third choice keeper Freddie Woodman had to replace him.

With Alisson already out, that gives Slot a problem, but the size of that problem was greatly reduced by the Van Dijk header. It was a header the Dutchman enjoyed very, very much.

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