Liverpool 2-1 West Ham: Late Van Dijk header moves Slot´s side two wins from title

Liverpool need just two wins to claim the Premier League title after Virgil van Dijk made amends for a late mistake with a last-gasp winner in a chaotic 2-1 victory over West Ham.

Sunday seemed set to belong to Mohamed Salah, who celebrated Friday’s two-year contract extension at Anfield with a record-breaking assist for Luis Diaz’s 18th-minute opener.

That saw Salah break the record for the most goal involvements in a 38-game season in the competition with 45, though his achievement was overshadowed by late drama in an enthralling finale.

Van Dijk scuffed Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross onto Andy Robertson, who turned past Alisson with four minutes remaining, only for Liverpool’s captain to then head home from Alexis Mac Allister’s 89th-minute corner.

Diaz had thrashed against the crossbar just moments before, as Mac Allister did with a second-half free-kick at 1-0 up, before Niclas Fullkrug headed onto the woodwork with what would have been the leveller in stoppage time.

The dramatic victory leaves Arne Slot’s side needing just six points from their remaining six games to clinch the crown, while West Ham drop to 17th but 14 points clear of Ipswich Town in the relegation zone.

45 – Mohamed Salah has now been directly involved in 45 Premier League goals this term (27 goals, 18 assists); a new record for a player in a 38-game season. King. pic.twitter.com/GzTS08wVir

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 13, 2025

Data Debrief: Super Salah

Salah moved past Arsenal’s Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (2022-23) with his first-half assist breaking the 38-game record for Premier League goal involvements in a single term.

The Egypt star will now aim for the single-season record of 47, held jointly by Andy Cole (for Newcastle United in 1993-94) and Alan Shearer (for Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95), with six games remaining.

Salah has also assisted 18 Premier League goals this season, the most by a player in a season since Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20 (20), which remains a joint-record with Henry from the 2002-03 campaign.

However, Liverpool required an alternate hero in Van Dijk, who has scored more Premier League goals than any other central defender (24) since his debut in September 2015.

Eighteen of those Premier League goals have come through headers, the only defender with more is John Terry (27), though this one may have been the most important in Liverpool colours to date.