Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Everton: Legends Come to the Fore on Derby Day

Liverpool’s captain headed home a 100th-minute winner in Sunday’s Merseyside derby.

Virgil van Dijk was Liverpool’s stoppage-time hero. | Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Liverpool claimed victory in the first Merseyside derby played at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Everton stunned by Virgil van Dijk’s last-gasp header.

The Reds thus took full advantage of Chelsea’s fourth consecutive Premier League defeat in the race to secure a top-five finish, and are now seven points clear of the sixth-place Blues with five games remaining.

Mohamed Salah came to the fore in this fixture again, scoring the opening goal just moments after Iliman Ndiaye had an effort ruled out for offside. Liverpool struggled to build any momentum in the aftermath, and Everton drew level through Beto before the hour mark.

Stoppages affected the derby’s flow, with neither team appearing capable of producing the all-important moment late. However, set-pieces have been a fruitful source of chance-creation for Liverpool in 2026, and a Dominik Szoboszlai corner led to Van Dijk’s winner at the death.

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Winners and Losers

Winners

Salah equalled Steven Gerrard’s scoring record in Premier League Merseyside derbies. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

This was no vintage Mohamed Salah performance, but it was fitting that the Egyptian broke the deadlock at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. On his final Merseyside derby appearance, Salah equalled Steven Gerrard’s Premier League scoring record in this fixture. His clinical finish was his ninth league goal against Everton.

Giorgi Mamardashvili’s withdrawal after Beto’s leveller meant Freddie Woodman made his first Premier League appearance for Liverpool. The Reds’ third-choice goalkeeper wasn’t all that busy during his 30-minute cameo, but dealt with a couple of potentially tricky situations with impressive calm.

Losers

Beto’s channel running troubled Ibrahima Konaté. | Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

Ibrahima Konaté was pretty good for the most part, but lapses continue to dog the inconsistent Frenchman. He had his blushes spared by the linesman’s flag in the first half before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall punished some rather lax Konaté defending to set up Beto’s equalizer.

The two most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history worked in close proximity on Sunday afternoon, but neither Alexander Isak or Florian Wirtz was able to assert themselves at all on the derby.

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Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Everton (4-2-3-1)

Liverpool’s center backs were tested at the Hill Dickinson. | Liverpool FC/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—6.9: Forced into a couple of early stops, expertly denying Beto’s header from breaking the deadlock. However, his first taste of the derby ended before the hour mark, picking up an injury as Everton equalized.

RB: Curtis Jones—8.4: Inverted role meant he often stationed himself centrally in the buid-up, aiding Liverpool’s ball progression, especially in the first half. Jones started well but struggled later in the game, with Iliman Ndiaye proving a difficult assignment.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—8.0: A challenging afternoon for Konaté, who wasn’t assertive enough in the channel during the equalizing goal sequence. However, the Frenchman often defended his box with vigor after a sluggish start.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.8: Liverpool’s captain was also tested by the bullish Beto, but it was he who had the last laugh.

LB: Andy Robertson—7.2: His final taste of this fixture wasn’t a particularly memorable one.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.8: Gravenberch’s trademark half turn wasn’t fooling this rough and rugged Everton midfield, who attempted (with success) to limit the Dutchman’s influence in the build-up phase.

DM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.1: Wasn’t able to have a discernible impact with the ball until his 100th-minute corner, but Szoboszlai produced several excellent defensive recoveries.

RW: Mohamed Salah—7.9: Sharp in the opening stages and took his goal with aplomb. However, Salah drifted out of the game amid a messy second half.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.2: Took up some really nice positions to drift away from Everton blue, but Wirtz simply didn’t do enough with the space he was afforded at times.

LW: Cody Gakpo—7.9: Started wide left after having some success in a central position in recent outings. Gakpo was predictable in one-on-one situations, but his assist for Salah was pinpoint.

ST: Alexander Isak—6.1: First Premier League start of 2026 returned very little. Isak is quite clearly still getting up to speed.

SUB: Freddie Woodman (58’ for Mamardashvili)—6.4: A sturdy cameo in a tough environment.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (72’ for Isak)—5.8: The 17-year-old was messy in one-on-one situations, and came close to winning it before Van Dijk eventually did.

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (84’ for Gakpo)—N/A

SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (84’ for Wirtz)—N/A

SUB: Milos Kerkez (86’ for Robertson)—N/A

Subs not used: Armin Pesci (GK), Federico Chiesa, Trey Nyoni.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Gakpo teed up the opening goal with an excellent pass. | Paul ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

• Plenty would’ve loved Arne Slot to have rolled the dice with Rio Ngumoha, who lit up Liverpool’s 2–0 victory over Fulham last week. The teenager was used off the bench in the week, as the Reds bowed out of the Champions League, and Slot opted for Cody Gakpo down the left in Sunday’s derby. Gakpo’s been used centrally as of late amid a subtle uptick in form, and the Dutch forward provided a moment of distinct quality in the opening period to tee up Mohamed Salah’s opener. Slot may be better off using his compatriot to mitigate Hugo Ekitiké’s absence, rather than Alexander Isak.
• Speaking of, the Swede looked off the pace again. He recorded just two touches by the 40th-minute mark and struggled to escape Everton’s towering center backs. Supporters must be patient with their lucrative summer addition, who’s returning from a long-term injury, but he’s currently nowhere near the required level.

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The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Dramatic Derby Triumph

• Liverpool did an excellent job of limiting the quality of Everton’s chances. Excluding the goal, the Toffees created just 0.58 xG.
• Everton had just one corner in the match, meaning they were unable to exploit a distinct Liverpool weakness.
• 20 fouls were committed in what was quite a tame Merseyside derby. Only two yellow cards were handed out by Chris Kavanagh, one of which was for dissent.

Statistic	Everton	Liverpool
Possession	44%	56%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.80	1.45
Total Shots	10	14
Shots on Target	4	6
Big Chances	3	2
Pass Accuracy	77%	84%
Fouls Committed	8	12
Corners	1	6

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