Virgil van Dijk scored a last-gasp winner against Everton on Sunday as Liverpool strengthened their push for a Champions League spot next season ahead of a Premier League summit meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal.
On a pivotal day in the English top division, fourth-placed Aston Villa squandered a two-goal lead against Sunderland but scored in stoppage time to win 4-3.
At the other end of the table, Morgan Gibbs-White netted a hat-trick as struggling Nottingham Forest came from behind against Burnley to win 4-1 and heap the pressure on troubled Tottenham.
Just a few weeks ago the battle for the top five, which guarantees entry into the Champions League, looked as though it might be tight.
But fifth-placed Liverpool’s victory in their first match at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium takes them seven points clear of stumbling Chelsea, who lost to Manchester United on Saturday.
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Captain Van Dijk was the hero for Arne Slot’s Liverpool, heading Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner past a helpless Jordan Pickford in the 100th minute.
Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring for last season’s champions, slotting home in the first half following a superbly weighted pass from Cody Gakpo.
The goal came just two minutes after Iliman Ndiaye’s effort at the other end was cancelled by VAR, with Jake O’Brien ruled offside.
Salah, departing at the end of the season, has equalled Steven Gerrard’s nine goals to be the joint top-scoring player in the Premier League fixture between the two Merseyside teams.
The goal took the wind out of the sails of David Moyes’ team, but they were level through Beto within 10 minutes of the restart.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, on the left of Everton’s attack, fired across goal for Beto to attack and he poked home ahead of an onrushing Giorgi Mamardashvili
Liverpool goalkeeper Mamardashvili was stretchered off after being injured in the scramble for the Everton goal, replaced by Freddie Woodman.
The game looked destined to end as a draw, but the officials signalled 11 added minutes, but Van Dijk had the last laugh.
Ollie Watkins scored twice for Villa, who moved level on 58 points with third-placed Manchester United, three clear of Liverpool.
England forward Watkins’ early opener was cancelled out by Sunderland’s Chris Rigg, but Watkins restored Villa’s lead in the 36th minute with his second headed goal of the game.
Morgan Rogers gave Villa breathing space with a third shortly after the restart as Villa remained on track for a return to the Champions League.
Unai Emery’s team nearly threw it away as first Trai Hume and then Wilson Isidor scored within a minute for Sunderland, but there was still time for Tammy Abraham to grab a dramatic late winner.
Nottingham Forest, involved in a relegation scrap with West Ham and Tottenham, were in deep trouble after Zian Flemming put Burnley ahead in first-half stoppage time.
But Gibbs-White put on a second-half masterclass to seal an ultimately comfortable win for Forest, who are now five points clear of 18th-placed Spurs, with Wolves and Burnley almost certainly doomed.
