Salah Shines in Final Derby as Liverpool Edge Everton

It would be easy to frame this victory purely through the lens of Salah’s influence, but the reality is slightly more complex.

This was a game won by individuals, not by a cohesive system.

Dominik Szoboszlai was outstanding in midfield, driving the team forward with energy and intent. His delivery from set pieces was exceptional, none more so than the pinpoint corner that allowed Virgil van Dijk to power home a dramatic late winner deep into stoppage time.

Van Dijk himself was imperious. Commanding, vocal, and decisive when it mattered most, his presence at both ends of the pitch proved crucial. The winning header—thunderous, precise, and perfectly timed—was a reminder of his enduring quality.

Together with Salah, these are players who define eras.

And yet, the performance as a whole still raised familiar concerns.

There remains a lack of structure, a lack of fluidity, and a reliance on moments rather than patterns. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool too often looks like a team waiting for something to happen rather than creating it collectively.

This win does not erase that.

Instead, it highlights it.

Because without the brilliance of Salah’s finish or Van Dijk’s header, this could easily have been another damaging result. The margin between success and failure felt thin, and that is not where a team of this calibre should operate.

There is also a lingering thought that refuses to go away.

What if Salah stayed under a different manager?

With clearer structure, better organisation, and a defined system, there is every reason to believe he could continue to thrive at the highest level. Players like him do not simply fade—they evolve, adapt, and continue to deliver.

This performance was a reminder of that.

A reminder that while Liverpool may be approaching change, they still possess players capable of greatness.

And if this was Salah’s final derby, it was one more chapter in a legacy that deserves to be remembered for generations.