Virgil van Dijk cemented his legendary status at Liverpool on Sunday, April 19, 2026, heading home a dramatic 100th-minute winner to secure a 2-1 victory over Everton. 

The match marked the first-ever Merseyside derby held at Everton’s brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, and the Liverpool captain ensured it would be a day for the visiting supporters to remember, sparking wild celebrations in the away end after a grueling battle.

The contest began with high intensity, as both sides sought to claim local bragging rights in the historic venue.

Mohamed Salah, playing in what is widely expected to be his final Merseyside derby, broke the deadlock in the first half. After the Reds capitalized on a turnover midway through the Everton half, Cody Gakpo delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Salah was waiting to fire past Jordan Pickford.

The goal silenced the home crowd and gave Arne Slot’s side a deserved lead heading into the break.

Everton, resilient under the management of David Moyes, fought back valiantly in the second half. The Toffees leveled the score through Beto, who slid the ball past Liverpool’s Giorgi Mamardashvili after being found by a brilliant Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pass.

The atmosphere intensified as the match entered an extraordinary 11 minutes of stoppage time, partly due to an injury to Mamardashvili, who was replaced by Freddie Woodman for his Premier League debut for the Reds.

Just as the match seemed destined for a draw, Liverpool won a corner in the 10th minute of added time. Dominik Szoboszlai swung in a perfect delivery, and Van Dijk rose highest to power his header into the net. The result moves Liverpool seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea, significantly strengthening their grip on a Champions League qualification spot as the Premier League season enters its final weeks.