Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored in his farewell Merseyside Derby on Sunday but some eagle-eyed supporters spotted the unusual sight of the Everton ballboy appearing to celebrate the goal. Salah scored the opener as Liverpool won 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium to strengthen their hold on the fifth and final Champions League qualification spot.
Everton could have closed within a point of their rivals with victory and drew level through Beto early in the second half. They were beaten right at the death, though, as Virgil van Dijk struck in the 10th minute of added time.
Liverpool shared a new video on Monday which showed different angles of the key moments. That included a new look at the opener and fans were quick to point out the reaction of the young ballboy when the ball hit the back of the net.
"The ballboy behind Evertonian net for Salah goal is a Liverpool lad???" … He celebrated the goal," one fan wrote on YouTube.
"We should bring the ballboy that celebrated Mo's goal back home to Anfield and let him enjoy a home game right at the sidelines," wrote another. Further fans pointed out that some Liverpool fans have even played for Everton in the past, so the idea of a Reds fan serving as a ballboy for their rivals might not be too far-fetched.
Naturally, much of the conversation after the match concerned the late drama. Liverpool looked to have missed their last chance of the game when Rio Ngumoha fired over, only for Van Dijk to head home a Dominik Szoboszlai corner to break Everton hearts.
"To score late, you could see the reaction of our players to the fans and the fans to our players. That tells you everything about how important this game is for us," Reds boss Arne Slot said.
The match also brought a league debut for Freddie Woodman. English goalkeeper Woodman, who moved to Anfield last summer as a third choice, was thrown into the action with Alisson already absent through injury and Giorgi Mamardashvili forced off during the second half.
"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous," Woodman, 29, told club media. "Being a part of this massive club, you have moments where you are a little bit nervous.
"But, to be honest, I thought to myself as I ran on, I just saw our back four and thought, ‘I should be alright, you know, as they are proper players.’ I thought I wouldn’t be too busy and, to be fair, they looked after me. It was just unbelievable to make my debut in the Premier League and to win like we did was special."
