The captain scored a late winner against West Ham but the expected announcement of his new contract could have even greater significance

For over an hour, he was shaping up as the match-winner. Instead, Van Dijk was. “A big relief,” sighed Slot. Liverpool’s corners had been unimpressive, both over the afternoon and much of the campaign. But he was able to add: “We saved a big set-piece for a very important moment.”

Virgil van Dijk scored Liverpool's winning goal in the Premier League game against West Ham and celebrated in front of the Reds supporters who were situated in the Kop