Wayne Rooney aimed a strange dig at Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk following the 2-1 win over Everton. The Reds central defender was the hero after his 100th-minute header downed the Blues to earn bragging rights.
The former Everton and Manchester United claimed that Reds defender Ibrahima Konate was "thrown under the bus" following his interview, in light of their exit to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. Liverpool bounced back from their disappointment against the Parisiens, having failed to overturn a two-goal deficit in the first leg, as Ousmane Dembele's Anfield double damaged any hope of a spirited fightback.
The Reds' form and inconsistency throughout the campaign have led to criticism - in particular towards key players like Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
Rooney has been particularly vocal about the Liverpool captain during a poor Premier League title defence, while they had endured hardship in Europe too. In November, the pair were embroiled in a back-and-forth before an awkward meeting during Amazon Prime's coverage after their win over Real Madrid.
In light of Liverpool's 2-1 win over Everton, thanks to Van Dijk's stoppage-time winner against Rooney's former club, the 43-year-old has threatened to reignite the feud.
Speaking on his podcast, the former Blues striker said: “It’s never nice to lose a derby, especially lose it late on. So, it was nice to see Van Dijk and Salah do an interview after the game - it was nice.
“I thought Konate got thrown under the bus a bit after the Champions League game, don’t think I’ve ever heard him do an interview and I thought he struggled in his interview.
"It’s easy, that’s what I’ve said all season, to be fair to Van Dijk he does a lot and has done all season. We rarely see Salah so yeah it was nice to see them take the plaudits."
Arne Slot's side keep pace with Manchester United and Aston Villa thanks to the winning goal from the skipper on Sunday, after Mohamed Salah's opener was cancelled out by Beto. The win for the Premier League champions means that they sit seven points clear inside the Champions League places, having received the safety net of fifth place securing qualification due to the coefficient ratings.
Following the dramatic win over their rivals, the two goalscorers, Van Dijk and Salah, were put up for media duties with Sky Sports after the Egyptian received the Player of the Match award for the display in his final Merseyside derby before leaving Liverpool.
It was a rare media appearance for Salah after his difficulties throughout the campaign. Having discussed his future during the contract uncertainty last season, he made a rare showing in the mixed zone after being left out against Leeds United in a shock interview with reporters, where a rift with Slot became apparent.
Speaking after the win over their Merseyside rivals, Salah outlined his hope to bid farewell on a high. He said: "It feels great, to be fair.
"The most important thing was to help the team to just settle down and keep more confidence, because we knew before the game it was going to be tricky, it was going to be a difficult game. I’m glad in the end we managed to win the game.
"I wish I just keep scoring and help the team at least to achieve Champions League [qualification] this season. And hopefully I [say] farewell in the right way."
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
