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It’s worth noting, of course, that yet again, Liverpool were reliant on the old guard for their win. Van Dijk tells Sky the team don’t want to be fighting fort the Champions League spots but that’s the situation and it’s a big win.
Salah says they knew it’d be a difficult game and he’s not got many of these to come, but he’s glad to score.
Back to Van Dijk, he admits it’s been a poor season then, asked about Salah, notes that there’ll be plenty of words said about him over the next few weeks but they appreciate him and he’s a great teammate.
Finally, Van Dijk’s tongue slips, saying he’ll be important over the next two games; Salah wonders if Slot’s told him something about who’ll be in the team, a gentle dig I shouldn’t wonder.
“For all the talk about Wirtz,” writes Graeme Neill, “it feels more could be made of the fact that Mac Allister’s form has dropped off a cliff this season. There are loads of examples of players who came from Europe, had an underwhelming first season, then kicked on. I’d say Mac Allister playing at nowhere near the level of last season has been more of a factor as to our comparative mediocrity.”
I know what you mean, but would say that, though Mac Allister is a good player, he’s not the standard I’d be wanting were I a Liverpool fan. My sense is last term he played above himself and this one is a better reflection of the player he is.
The great Rob Smyth is building up to Man City v Arsenal, the biggest game of the season so far…
ShareThe Premier League table
It’s been another dreadful weekend for Chelsea and Spurs. Those two meet on the season’s penultimate weekend.
Photograph: GuardianShareResults from elsewhere
Aston Villa 4-3 Sunderland
Nottingham Forest 4-1 Burnley
Mohamed Slaha and Andy Robertson will never play another of these; Virgil van Dijk doesn’t have too many more. But muscle memory is hard to lose, and they’re still killing Everton.
ShareFULL TIME: Everton 1-2 Liverpool
The more things change, the more they stay the same: yet again, Liverpool leave Everton spewing, moving closer to next season’s Champions League.
90+12 min Jones carries forwards, Garner recklessly scythes through him, and he’s booked.
90+11 min The away ed are avin it; the Everton players and fans looks exceedingly poorly.
Updated at 11.02 EDT
GOAL! Everton 1-2 Liverpool (Van Dijk 90+10)
Szoboszlai’s corner goes to the near post and Van Dijk reads it better than Tarkowski, nodding home, and the old neighbours have indeed ransacked the new gaff! That is very Liverpool and the height of Everton, the debut derby going to the visitors.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool scores his team’s second goal past Jordan Pickford of Everton. Photograph: Liverpool FC/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 11.06 EDT
90+10 min Jones injects some pace and when a shot is deflected behind, Liverpool have a corner…
90+8 min But here come Liverpool, Mc Allister and Salah combining before Gravenberch dummies a pass inside, leaving the ball for Ngumoha on the far side of the box. He opens his body … and sweeps over the top.
Updated at 10.58 EDT
90+7 min And when Ngumoha does get the ball, he looks to pass infield and picks out Gueye.
90+6 min It’s still frantic but neither side look likely to find any quality; Liverpool haven’t really managed to get Ngumoha on the ball, and with Gakpo up front, also lack a reference point.
90+5 min Tammy Abraham has put Villa 4-3 up on Sunderland!
90+4 min O’Brien’s touch is poor, he catches Mac Allister on the way down, and there’s a brief pause.
90+3 min Given the number of long balls Everton play, I’m not sure why they don’t try a second big target up top. They appear to have run out of other ideas.
90+1 min We’ll have 11 additional minutes, so plenty of time for the sides to find a winner; Liverpool look likelier.
90 min “It’s a big weekend for the Woodman family,” advises Andrew Goudie. “Freddie making his Premier League debut and dad Andy securing promotion for Bromley.”
Mazal tov all round.
88 min Oh! Sunderland score on 86 and 87 to level with Villa at 3-3; that’s great news for Liverpool, for whom, assuming the scores don’t change, a draw is not now a disaster.
87 min Branthwaite’s just been settling in again after yet another long injury, but he’s replaced by Keane, with Liverpool sending Kerkez on for Robertson.
85 min Branthwaite and Gakpo contested a loose ball, meeting in a shoulder-to-shoulder which sends the former flying. He gets up clutching his hamstring, continues playing, and this could well be his season. Poor man just can’t catch a break.
84 min Liverpool send on Frimpong and Mac Allister for Wirtz and Gakpo while Branthwaite is down and receiving treatment. I need to see what happened again, but he’s got a hand over his eyes and this looks like bad news for a player who’s been so cruelly afflicted by injury.
83 min “Is obstruction not an offence any more?” qwonders Bill Muskett. “Surely what Van Dijk did in the 75th minute was?”
You can protect the ball with your body provided it’s in playing distance.
82 min It’s getting tense as both sides seek a win knowing one error could mean defeat. On the touchline, Frimpong and Mac Allister prepare to join us.
80 min Lovely first touch from George to control, but when he moves forward with the ball his cross is to no one.
80 min A chance I mighr’ve made at half-time: George replaces McNeil.
78 min It’s a hat-trick for Morgan Gibbs-White, and I think it might be a perfect one. Either way, his team lead 3-1 and Burnley are almost down, while Spurs are likely to be a point off West Ham and five off Forest.
77 min It’s frantic now, both sides hunting a winner, and when Dewsbury-Hall slips in behind to meet the run of McNeil, the cross, lamped across the box, is nowhere near anyone.
75 min Van Dijk waits for a ball to drop, shepherding back, but he’s under pressure from Barry and Mamardashvili has to come out and head clear. Then, next attack, Dewsbury-Hall looks to have got in behind, skirting around Jones, but Konate deals with his cross.
74 min Gakpo is now through the middle with Ngumoha on the left. Liverpool need to feed him as soon as they can, and get Robertson up in support.
73 min And off goes Beto, to be replaced by Barry.
72 min Change for Liverpool, the anonymous Isak replaced by Ngumoha.