Liverpool, England – Virgil van dijk He turned toward the kick and released the almighty roar. 33 -year -old Captain’s 89th minute goal against West Ham United He was just restoring Liverpool’s leadership in Anfield and put them on top of a rare 2-1 victory that brought them closer to claiming Premier League title.
Three minutes earlier, his incorrect assessment caused Andy Robertson to score his own goal on the left, equalizing the tie after the West Ham A-Out in the middle of the three defeats of the last four games in all competitions looked a little fooled when the clock blown. But in the remaining minutes, Van Dijk hit and pandemonium was in the stalls. At the touch line, the head coach Arne Slot celebrated the smell, who reserved for this season only for the greatest moments.
This result certainly was great for Liverpool When they opened a 13-point lead over the second placement Arsenal (with shooters who drop more points in a draw Brentford on Saturday) and added another weight to the belief that their coronation as champions is now inevitable.
The fact that the League leaders demanded that they demand a late rescue law from their captain to see a team that is currently placed in 17th place in the table, reflects a recent decline at their performance level. But the winning league titles should not be easy and Liverpool was a master of searching for a way to overcome this season.
The Slot in Anfield has since been replaced by Jurgen Klopp last summer, to a large extent stable Fulham Adding pressure to turn the mini crisis.
From the beginning against West Ham, however, Liverpool has played with the type of verve and toughness, which was very missing in Craven Cottage; They simply looked faster, sharper and hungry than in recent weeks.
Luis Diaz Drew drew soon Alphonse areola before Muhammad is wrong The efforts of an agonizing wide post have turned. However, neither player should wait a long time to find themselves on the middle of the event again, with a diaz tap home from Sublime Salah Assist after 18 minutes.
Only two days after it was confirmed that Salah signed a new two -year extension in Liverpool and finally ended speculation about his future, a 32 -year -old man provided another example of his importance in Anfield. At the same time, he broke the record for the most goals and helps in the 38-game Premier League season (45), the previous record together by Thierry Henry in 2002-03 and Erling Haaland In the years 2023-24 (44).
Before the ball was kicked on Sunday afternoon, Salah was served by the crowd Anfield. Perhaps without the release of the long -term undercurrence of uncertainty, he turned forward in the noble first half to put his team firmly on the driver’s seat against the side of Graham Potter.
At that moment, it seemed to be a matter of time before the floods opened. But Liverpool couldn’t really count their dominance and left them vulnerable to the revival of the western ham after half -time. Keeper Alisson Becker was called on several occasions into action, so spectacular stops denied Jarrod Bowen and alive Mohammed Kudus. And the visitors received their reward in the 86th minute, when the defensive mixing between the substitute Robertson and Van Dijk resulted in the fact that the ball changed to the rear of the Liverpool network for the equalizer.
It was a mistake that felt a symbol of the recent Reds malaise, and when six games left, it seemed that the slot had some unpleasant questions to answer. However, if one of the characteristic features of champions responds to adversity, then Liverpool showed its title login data when van Dijk powered home header from Alexis Mac Allister Corner only two minutes from time to time.
The meaning of the goal was underlined by the captain’s celebration. Van Dijk usually left one of the coldest characters in the Premier League a rare moment of emotional release as Muml chest and kissed the Liverpool badge.
With the contract that expires in the summer, the future of the Dutch is still unclear, and after the match, when he asked in his future, Coy remained. However, it is expected that the defender will extend the two -year extension by Salah’s signature already secured and maintained by the services of Van Dijka together with the services of Alisson (which is out of the contract in 2027), feels an integral part of Liverpool’s success in the future.
“It would not be fair to talk only about them (van Dijk, Salah and Alisson), but as a manager, you are looking for players who have already achieved a lot in their career to perform at the most important moments of the season,” Slot said. “Always at the end of the season, the moments increase and increase and today all three have appeared.
“Alisson probably had its best season of the season today; Virgil scores to get us three points; Mo is very important in the first goal. He was really alive in the first half and I saw Mo Salah we saw for most of the season.”
In the competition, which was balanced on the edge of the knife, they were three of the most experienced Liverpool players who changed it. At Merseyside, they already have a legendary status, and this will only be strengthened if they can help seal the title of six points that the club now needs.
