Cruel Late Goal Sees Blues Defeated On Derby Day

Virgil Van Dijk’s 100th-minute header saw Everton fall to a cruel 2-1 loss in the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with 28 minutes on the clock, only moments after Iliman Ndiaye saw a goal disallowed by VAR when Jake O'Brien was marginally offside in the build-up.

Beto found a deserved equaliser for the Toffees nine minutes after the break, but Arne Slot’s men stole all three points deep into injury time as Van Dijk headed home from corner.

The Blues had been dealt another blow late on when the excellent Jarrad Branthwaite was taken off on a stretcher with an injury.

A superb tifo organised by The 1878s alongside several renditions of Everton classics set the tone for an historic derby at the Blues’ world-class home.

Ndiaye thought he had broken the deadlock inside 26 minutes, the Senegal international’s half-volley evading the reach of Girogi Mamardashvili. However, VAR swiftly ruled out the opener as O’Brien was in an offside position before he swung a cross into the box.

Salah opened the scoring only three minutes later, the forward slotting home after meeting Cody Gakpo’s threaded through ball at the other end.

After heading into the break behind, the Toffees fought back and claimed a hard-earned equaliser thanks to Beto's fifth goal in six matches. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall latched on to Branthwaite’s lofted ball down the right, before squaring it to the advancing number nine.

Branthwaite departed the field of play via a stretcher with three minutes of normal time remaining, after the defender had given his all, stretching to dispossess Gakpo, before falling to the ground in agony.

David Moyes’ side pushed hard for a winner, but it was the visitors who struck late to steal the points. Dominik Szoboszlai whipped in an enticing corner to the six-yard box, where the Reds’ skipper was on hand to nod past Jordan Pickford.