Virgil Van Dijk Snatches Victory For Liverpool In First Derby At Everton’s New Home

There was a caller location for nan Merseyside derby but an aged and acquainted script. Virgil van Dijk’s 100th infinitesimal victor brought triumph and alleviation for Arne Slot arsenic Everton’s hopes of christening Hill Dickinson Stadium successful style were punctured by different precocious Liverpool show.

The 248th Merseyside derby was petering retired towards a forgettable tie erstwhile nan Liverpool skipper held disconnected James Tarkowski to caput location a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. Liverpool had tried nan regular each day and, successful nan tenth of 11 minutes of stoppage time, it yet paid off. Slot’s prospects of starring Liverpool into nan Champions League adjacent play lifted on pinch nan sound from nan delirious distant section.

Liverpool could person been forgiven for tiring successful nan closing stages aft their midweek exertions against Paris Saint-Germain but Slot utilized his 5 substitutions wisely. David Moyes’ preamble of Thierno Barry and Tyrique George, by contrast, sent Everton’s capacity plummeting. Both were dreadful and helped manus nan inaugural to Liverpool successful nan closing stages. The visitors took afloat advantage.

Everton will again ponder what mightiness and should person been successful a derby. Urged connected by an impassioned location support, nan hosts were nan amended broadside until Mohamed Salah produced a bolt from nan reddish successful nan 29th minute. Moyes’ broadside produced nan much controlled, inventive shot while Liverpool’s threat came exclusively from area kicks. Everton could not incorporate them for ever.

Mohamed Salah scores nan first Merseyside derby extremity astatine Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

Beto forced Giorgi Mamardashvili into a bully early prevention pinch a glancing header from a James Garner cross, rising supra Ibrahima Konaté to nonstop his effort towards nan bottommost corner. The Everton centre guardant past mislaid his footing erstwhile played done connected extremity by Dwight McNeil and produced a howler erstwhile spinning distant from nan Liverpool defence to cod Jarrad Branthwaite’s agelong shot retired of defence. Beto had much state than he realised arsenic he bore down connected Mamardashvili’s extremity and took nan changeable first time. He side-footed a dreadful effort location successful nan guidance of nan area flag.

Everton’s main vexation successful nan opening play centred connected Chris Kavanagh’s leniency erstwhile nan referee refused to book Van Dijk for a precocious foul connected Idrissa Gana Gueye. Jordan Pickford was shown a yellowish paper alternatively for rushing retired of his area to protest. An eager punishment claim, erstwhile Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall went down nether a touch from Curtis Jones arsenic they chased Tarkowski’s shot into nan box, was rightly dismissed.

The travel of nan derby and nan respective performances of nan 2 teams was transformed wrong 3 minutes.

Hill Dickinson Stadium erupted erstwhile Jake O’Brien’s transverse landed astatine nan feet of Iliman Ndiaye and nan Senegal world swept a cool decorativeness beyond Mamardashvili. It was a merited lead and prolonged celebrations ensued. O’Brien, however, was offside erstwhile collecting Pickford’s clearance down nan correct and nan celebrations switched to nan distant conception erstwhile nan extremity was disallowed aft a video adjunct referee check.

Beto celebrates scoring Everton’s equaliser. Liverpool’s goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili had to spell disconnected aft being injured successful nan incident. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

Everton were still stewing complete nan determination erstwhile Liverpool deepened their torment successful devastating style. The location broadside played themselves into problem heavy wrong their ain half earlier McNeil miscued a mediocre touch consecutive to Cody Gakpo. Gakpo was a astonishment inclusion up of Rio Ngumoha but justified his action pinch a superb walk that dissected nan Everton defence and recovered Salah sprinting unmarked into nan area connected nan acold side. The Egypt world dispatched a objective decorativeness nether Pickford for his ninth extremity successful a Merseyside derby. Only Ian Rush (25) and Steven Gerrard (10) person scored much successful nan fixture for Liverpool.

The breakthrough changed nan complexion of nan contest. Liverpool controlled nan remainder of nan first half and performed pinch a assurance successful possession that had been missing previously. Gakpo forced Pickford into a fingertip prevention from region and Alexander Isak steered a decent opening from a Florian Wirtz walk consecutive astatine nan Everton keeper. It was Isak’s only publication of statement earlier being replaced by Ngumoha successful nan 73rd minute.

Liverpool’s authority did not past agelong into nan 2nd half. Everton needed half-time to regroup and soon drew level erstwhile Dewsbury-Hall chased Vitalii Mykolenko’s shot down nan left. The midfielder controlled good connected his thorax earlier sweeping a vulnerable transverse on nan look of nan Liverpool goal. Beto, holding disconnected Andy Robertson, arrived first to descent location nan equaliser. The striker collided pinch Mamardashvili connected nan follow-up and nan Liverpool goalkeeper was yet taken disconnected connected a stretcher pinch a serious-looking knee injury. Slot was forced to manus 3rd prime keeper, Freddie Woodman, his convention debut for nan club.

Beto would later depart pinch a caput wounded and, pinch Barry inept, nan threat from Everton went pinch him. Neither broadside had earnestly threatened a victor until Liverpool regained power successful nan last minutes. Everton were weakened by nan departure connected a stretcher of Branthwaite, successful tears aft suffering yet different hamstring injury, and were punished erstwhile Szoboszlai’s changeable deflected retired for a corner. Van Dijk proved nan strongest man successful nan container and, conscionable for illustration his precocious victor against Everton connected his Liverpool debut, tormented nan section rivals erstwhile again.