Virgil van Dijk rose highest from a corner in the tenth minute of stoppage time to head Liverpool to a dramatic 2–1 victory over Everton in the first Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, 19th April 2026.
It was a match Liverpool rarely deserved to win. Everton dominated large spells, created the better chances and looked the more likely side for much of the contest, only to be undone at the death by their Dutch nemesis.
Arne Slot made four changes from midweek, bringing in Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, with Jones deployed in an unfamiliar inverted right-back role. Alexander Isak kept his place up front despite Hugo Ekitike now expected to miss the remainder of 2026.
Everton were the better side from the first whistle, feeding off a ferocious home atmosphere that greeted Liverpool with hostility throughout the opening stages. Beto came close to opening the scoring as early as the fifth minute, only to be denied by a brilliant reflex stop from Giorgi Mamardashvili. Referee Chris Kavanagh also waved away a penalty shout from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall following a shoulder barge from Jones.
Liverpool rode their luck and struck against the run of play just before the half-hour mark. Iliman Ndiaye had a goal ruled out for offside moments earlier, but Gakpo quickly fed Salah, who finished to give the visitors an undeserved lead. The atmosphere inside the ground dipped, and Liverpool grew into the half, with Isak even fashioning a chance only to fire straight at Jordan Pickford.
Everton came out with renewed urgency after the break and were level within ten minutes of the restart. A wasteful long ball from Mamardashvili gifted possession to the hosts, and Dewsbury-Hall eventually played it across for Beto to slide home from close range.
The equaliser came at a cost for Liverpool. Mamardashvili was injured in the process and, with Alisson already sidelined, Slot was forced to hand a Premier League debut to third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
Liverpool struggled to regain control. Jones and Florian Wirtz were particularly culpable, too often holding onto the ball and failing to build with the intensity the occasion demanded. Isak, peripheral throughout, was withdrawn with just under 20 minutes remaining having managed only nine touches, one shot and three completed passes, with Rio Ngumoha coming on in his place.
With the game seemingly heading for a share of the spoils, Liverpool found their moment from a set piece. Dominik Szoboszlai swung in a corner, and Van Dijk towered above the Everton defence to power a header into the net in the tenth minute of stoppage time.
It was a stunning end to a contest that had ebbed and flowed throughout, and one that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed the Hill Dickinson Stadium’s first ever Merseyside derby.
