- Van Dijk wins it in injury time
- Another injury worry for the Reds
- Beto canceled out Salah’s opener
Liverpool left it late but managed to win 2-1 against Everton in the first-ever Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Virgil van Dijk steals the headlines as the Reds captain scores in injury time to seal a 2-1 win over the Toffees. Arne Slot’s side created history today with the win, becoming the first Premier League side to win at 60 different stadiums.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first against the run of play, after a beautiful ball from Cody Gapoke put him clear inside the box. The Anfield side kept hold of the lead until the break, and looked to have taken control of the game.
The Toffees came out chasing shadows in the second half, and Liverpool looked like the side that was going to get on the scoresheet again. However, the home side stunned the Reds just nine minutes after the restart and found the equalizer through Beto, who had been knocking on the door since the start.
Things got worse for the away side as Giorgi Mamardashvili was stretched off injured after he did not get up following the clash with Beto and Andy Robertson as the goal was being scored.
The game looked set for a draw, but Van Dijk had other plans and headed home the winner in the 100th minute from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. Here are the ReadLiverpoolFC full-time ratings:
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 8
The goalkeeper was the key reason why Liverpool did not concede in the first half. There was very little he could do about the Beto goal in the second half, but now the fans will be worried about his fitness as he was stretchered off seconds after the goal.
Curtis Jones – 6.5
A decent performance as the make-shift right-back, and he was solid in the second half. First half had a few mistakes in him, but the Englishman grew into the game and played a key role in the win.
Ibrahima Konate – 7
A surprise that he did not suffer a concussion today after multiple head-on collisions with Beto and Barry. Similar to Jones, he grew into the game and was solid at the back in the second half, though many will complain about his tole role in the Everton goal.
Virgil Van Dijk – 9
Solid performance at the back, and the winner was a cherry on top of the cake. He has etched his name in the history books, becoming the first player to score the winner at the Hill Dickinson stadium in a Merseyside derby.
Andy Robertson – 6
The left-back was not at his best today and was clearly the weak link in the backline. Should have done better for the goal and also been more aware of his surroundings throughout the match.
Ryan Gravenberch – 7
The Dutchman had an iffy first half, but was brilliant in the second. Took more control of the game and was ready to be on the Everton players’ toes more often than not.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 7
The Hungarian took the all-important corner today and also played a key role in winning it. Apart from that, he was chasing the ball in the match and was unable to play his natural game today as he had someone on the other on him at all time.
Mohamed Salah – 8.5
The Egyptian king scored the opening goal, but the second half saw him making a few too many errors. He was taking a touch longer than needed in his decisions and was stopped more often than not in his dribbles.
Florian Wirtz – 7
Grew into the game in the first half, but then failed to do much in the second half again. He has a long way to go to prove his worth in the starting XI, and the fans are losing their patience with the German.
Cody Gakpo – 7
Not the best performance once again, but he did get the crucial assist in the first half. His shots hardly troubled Jordan Pickford, and Jake O’Brien would not complain if he had to play against the Dutchman in every game.
Alexander Isak – 6
He is still not at his best and it was a surprise to see him playing in the second half. He will need a few more games to get back to his best, but the question remains if the Reds have enough time to be patient with him in the tail end of the season.
Liverpool substitutes
Freddie Woodman – 8
An appearance out of nowhere for the goalkeeper, and he might be starting in the rest of the matches this month. He would have been nervous after coming on, but he did well every time he was called into action. It was his first Premier League game since 2021, when he played for Newcastle United.
Rio Ngumoha – 6
Another game, another record for the teenager. He became the youngest Liverpool player to feature in a Merseyside derby today. Expectations have gone up for the teenager after the standards he set earlier this season, and that means his performances will be under the spotlight. Not his best performance, and he will be thinking about the missed chance before Van Dijk’s goal.
Jeremie Frimpong – 7
The right-back did not have a lot to do after coming on.
Alexis Mac Allister – 7
Played a key role in controlling the game in the final minutes after coming on. Combined well with Szoboszlai to help the Reds get the corner that led to Van Dijk’s goal.
Milos Kerkez – 6
Had very little to do after coming on and had just three touches of the ball.
