Origi The Hero As Liverpool Nick Merseyside Derby

By Joshua Walters

Divock Origi proved to be the unlikeliest of heroes for Liverpool as he emerged from the bench to hand the Reds a priceless 1-0 victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Origi, appearing in his first Premier League game of the season, headed into an open goal with arguably the last kick of the game after Everton goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, misjudged a horrible swinger from Virgil Van Dijk in injury time.

The ball seemed to be scaling over the bar when Pickford palmed it back into play and into the path of Origi who wasted no time in heading into the yawning net.

The win keeps Liverpool in second place with 36 points, two points behind leaders Manchester City, while Everton stay in sixth place with 22 points.

Everton nearly took the lead just four minutes into the game when Yerry Mina got to the end of a Lucas Digne free-kick, but the Colombian headed it down, into the turf and wide.

Another great chance in the 12th minute, this time for Liverpool, fell the way of Sadio Mane inside the penalty area, after being played through by Mohamed Salah, but the Senegalese thumped a rising shot into the Anfield Road end.

Everton’s Andre Gomes must have thought he had scored for Everton in the 21st minute when he got to the end of a Theo Walcott headed pass in the six-yard box, but Alisson made a flying save to keep it out.  The rebound hit Gomes on the chin and was creeping in until Joe Gomez slid in and cleared it from the line.

Xherdan Shaqiri wasted a good chance for Liverpool when he had a one-on-one situation with Jordan Pickford in the 34th minute, but the England goalkeeper made a great save.

Roberto Firmino took the ball on his chest and played Mane in on goal in the 52nd minute, but, with two defenders on him and with only the goalkeeper to beat, he slid his shot wide.

Divock Origi replaced Firmino in the 84th minute and the Belgian made his presence felt three minutes later by smashing a shot against the crossbar after meeting Van Dijk’s knock down.

Liverpool finally broke the deadlock five minutes into injury time. Alisson sent a long free kick into the box and Van Dijk horribly swung a volley from about 20 yards, but Pickford misjudged it totally as put the ball landed onto the crossbar and fell kindly to Origi to head into an unguarded net.