Virgil van Dijk made a dream start for Liverpool following his £75m move from Southampton as his late header settled a highly competitive FA Cup third round Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield.
The visitors looked on course for a replay at Goodison Park until keeper Jordan Pickford misjudged a corner allowing Van Dijk, who cost a world record fee for a defender, to steal in six minutes from time and send the Reds into the fourth round.
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s smooth finish from the edge of the area put Everton level in the second half after Liverpool had taken the lead 10 minutes before half-time, with James Milner scoring from the penalty spot following Mason Holgate’s tangle with Adam Lallana.
In a fiercely fought game there was a first-half flashpoint when Holgate foolishly pushed Reds forward Roberto Firmino over the advertising hoardings and into the crowd, with the Everton defender left furious after the pair subsequently exchanged words. Liverpool were without injured forward Mohamed Salah and midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who has been linked with a £140m move to Barcelona.
Photo Credit: Getty
