Salah Pledges to Depart Liverpool 'the Right Way' After Scoring in Final Merseyside Derby

Mohamed Salah reaffirmed his commitment to leaving Liverpool "in the right way" after scoring in his last Merseyside derby, a match that saw the Reds secure a dramatic 2-1 victory over Everton.

Everton initially believed they had taken the lead when Iliman Ndiaye found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review. Liverpool capitalized on the reprieve just over a minute later, as Cody Gakpo’s precise pass set up Salah to fire into the bottom-right corner. Beto equalized for Everton nine minutes into the second half, but after injuries to Giorgi Mamardashvili and Jarrad Branthwaite, 11 minutes of stoppage time were added at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In the 100th minute, Virgil van Dijk headed home a Dominik Szoboszlai corner to secure a crucial three points for Liverpool. The Reds have now scored six 90th-minute winners against Everton in the Premier League—the most by any team against a single opponent in the competition’s history. The victory also extended Liverpool’s lead over sixth-placed Chelsea to seven points in the race for Champions League qualification, with their chances of securing a spot now estimated at 89%.

Salah, who announced last month that he would end his nine-year tenure at Anfield this season, expressed his desire to help the team qualify for the Champions League as a fitting conclusion to his Liverpool career. "I hope I will just keep scoring and help the team achieve the Champions League this season. Hopefully, I say farewell in the right way," Salah told Sky Sports. "It feels great. The most important thing was to help the team settle down and feel more confident. We knew before the game it would be tricky, and I’m glad we were able to win it."

In his final derby, Salah matched Steven Gerrard’s record of nine goals in the fixture, becoming the joint-top scorer in Merseyside derby history in the Premier League. His contribution also helped Liverpool secure a third consecutive league win over Everton, equaling their longest such streak against their rivals.

The decisive moment came from Van Dijk, whose 99th-minute winner was the joint-third latest recorded in Premier League history (since 2006-07). The Liverpool captain, however, shifted focus to Salah, praising his impact on and off the pitch. "There will be a lot of words coming out of my mouth in the next couple of weeks about him. But he’s so important for us," Van Dijk said. "The appreciation sometimes comes when players are gone, but we appreciate him so much. He’s an outstanding teammate. We’ve been through everything together—highs and lows. He will still be important for the last five games. It will be emotional for him, his family, and us, because he means so much to me, the team, and the fans. But first, we still have a job to do. He knows it—that’s the main focus."