Mohamed Salah marked his farewell Merseyside Derby on Sunday by scoring the opening goal for Liverpool, but some Reds fans were quickly distracted by an Everton ballboy appearing to celebrate the strike. Salah was on target as Liverpool claimed a 2-1 victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium, tightening their grip on the fifth and final Champions League qualification place.
Everton, who had a goal disallowed moments before that opener, could have pulled to within a point of their rivals with a win. They drew level through Beto early in the second half but were undone when Virgil van Dijk struck in the 10th minute of added time.
Liverpool released a new 'Inside' video on Monday with different angles of the pivotal moments. This included a fresh look at the opener, and supporters were quick to highlight the reaction of the young ballboy as 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 supporters noted that supporting one Merseyside team hasn't stopped players taking to the field for the other, so the notion of a Reds fan serving as a ballboy for their rivals is small fry in comparison.
Unsurprisingly, much of the post-match discussion centred on Van Dijk's late heroics. Liverpool appeared to have squandered their final opportunity when Rio Ngumoha blazed over, only for their captain to nod home a Dominik Szoboszlai corner and shatter Everton's hopes.
"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," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.
The fixture also marked just a second Liverpool appearance for goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and a first in the league. Woodman, who arrived at Anfield last summer as third-choice keeper, was thrust into the fray with Alisson already sidelined through injury and Giorgi Mamardashvili withdrawn before the hour mark.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," the substitute 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."
