Liverpool pulled off a dramatic victory over Everton on 19 April at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Mohamed Salah opening the scoring and Virgil van Dijk heading home a 99th-minute winner to complete a 2-1 comeback. Salah matched Steven Gerrard’s Premier League Merseyside derby scoring record in the process, and Liverpool moved seven points clear of Chelsea in the race for a top-five finish with five games left.
How every Liverpool starter performed on derby day?
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 7/10. The Georgian keeper started sharp, pulling off a flying stop to deny Beto’s early header and keeping Liverpool in it when Everton looked dangerous. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury around the hour mark just as Everton levelled, and losing their first-choice stopper was a huge blow at such a vital stage.
Curtis Jones – 6/10. Liverpool used him as an inverted right-back, and he did well helping the ball move forward in the first half. However, his defensive work out wide was hit-and-miss, and Everton’s equaliser eventually came down his side.
Ibrahima Konaté – 5/10. He was a beast in the air at times, but a lapse in concentration led directly to Beto’s equaliser when he completely lost track of Dewsbury-Hall’s run. That mistake was costly, and Konaté needs to stay sharper in those big moments.
Virgil van Dijk – 8.5/10. Easily the man of the match. The Liverpool skipper handled Beto’s physicality all game, made crucial blocks, and then popped up with that incredible stoppage-time header to win the derby in the most dramatic way possible. His leadership was the difference here.
Andy Robertson – 6/10. Arne Slot went with his derby experience, and Robertson did his job defensively without ever really taking over. He made a few good interceptions but didn’t offer much in attack.
Ryan Gravenberch – 6/10. He put the work in centrally but lost Dewsbury-Hall a few times, giving up space in midfield before Beto scored. It was a solid shift, but he wasn’t particularly influential.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 7/10. His set-piece delivery was a constant threat, and it was his corner that eventually found Van Dijk for the winner. He definitely grew into the game.
Florian Wirtz – 6.5/10. He pressed hard and found some good pockets of space, but his final ball let him down a few times before Slot took him off late in the game.
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Cody Gakpo – 8/10. Starting out on the left, he showed real class with a perfectly weighted pass for Salah’s opener. That assist made him Liverpool’s most dangerous attacker for much of the day.
Alexander Isak – 5/10. His first Premier League start of 2026 was one to forget; he barely had two touches before the 40th minute. Everton’s centre-backs had him in their pockets the whole time.
Mohamed Salah – 9/10. In his last Merseyside derby, Salah was electric. He finished clinically from Gakpo’s pass in the first half and never stopped pressing. Liverpool’s modern icon signed off from this fixture in the best way possible.
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Substitutes rated after they made their impact
Freddie Woodman – 6/10. He came on for the injured Mamardashvili around the hour mark and looked calm under pressure during his league debut for the club.
Rio Ngumoha – 5.5/10. The 17-year-old replaced Isak and carved out one great chance, only to blast it over. He brought plenty of energy, even if his finishing wasn’t quite there when it mattered.
Jeremie Frimpong – 6/10. He came on for Robertson late and gave the side a spark, making a dangerous run into the box during stoppage time that helped fuel Liverpool’s final push.
Liverpool showed exactly why they remain in the top-five picture
This Liverpool side dug deep to grab three points through pure grit and individual moments of magic rather than controlling the game. Van Dijk and Salah stepped up when the pressure was highest, and Liverpool now look well-placed to secure Champions League football for next season.
