When Virgil van Dijk headed Liverpool’s 100th-minute winner in this afternoon’s Merseyside derby, Curtis Jones’ immediate reaction would’ve resonated with every Reds supporter.
It looked for all the world as though Arne Slot’s side would have to settle for a point in their first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and considering how often they’d conceded costly late goals this season, some may have felt an Everton sucker punch was inevitable.
Instead it was the visitors who delivered the last-gasp drama, with the LFC captain getting his head to Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner kick and securing all three points for his team.
As Van Dijk ran off to celebrate his dramatic winning goal, pursued by a few of his teammates, Jones’ reaction behind him summed up just how incredible a climax it was in the derby.
The 25-year-old instinctively put his hands to his head as he tried to comprehend the significance of what had just happened, with Liverpool doing the double over their city rivals this season and moving seven points clear of Chelsea in sixth place.
Kopites have seen plenty of stoppage-time derby winners over the years – Gary McAllister in 2001, Dirk Kuyt in 2007, Sadio Mane in 2016, Divock Origi two years later – and Van Dijk’s goal today is set to be recalled with every bit as much fondness as each of those.
The captain’s heroics didn’t just secure victory and local bragging rights – it’s given the Reds a handsome cushion in their pursuit of a Champions League finish on a weekend when other results also went in their favour.
It wasn’t a perfect afternoon for Liverpool, with Giorgi Mamardashvili getting injured in trying to prevent Beto’s 54th-minute equaliser, but the result feels massive in what has been a very difficult season for Slot’s side.
Van Dijk hasn’t had his best campaign in terms of his overall performances, but he represents so much of what we love to see in a player captaining this club, having spoken out about the contentious decision to increase ticket prices from later this year.
Between that public representation of the fans and his Merseyside derby heroics today, the 34-year-old can do no wrong in the eyes of Reds suppoters at this moment in time!
You can view Jones’ reaction to Van Dijk’s last-gasp winner below, via @SkySportsPL on X:
Virgil van Dijk scores in the 100th minute! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/akencyyjoX
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2026
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