After Virgil van Dijk’s late winner against West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool moved one step closer to winning the Premier League. Video of one fan’s quick thinking has surfaced, and the Anfield supporters have hailed it.
Three minutes after helping to create a defensive blunder, the Dutchman, who has captained Arne Slot’s first season as manager, was there to secure all three points for his team as he rose majestically to meet Alexis Mac Allister’s inch-perfect corner.
Following Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s unsettling delivery, Van Dijk, who is frequently rated as one of the best defenders in world football, and Robertson were unable to clear their lines; as a result, West Ham tied the score with four minutes remaining in regulation time.
Slot’s team knew they had to win after seeing their title rivals, Arsenal, lose to Brentford 1-1 the previous day. Van Dijk took centre stage, with a little assistance from a Liverpool supporter in the stands.
Late in the game, Alphonse Areola went low to keep Liverpool from reclaiming their one-goal lead. One fan, Ali Hamidi, was the fastest thinker in the 61,276-seat stadium when the ball was shoved into one of Anfield’s home sections.
He immediately seized the ball and threw it to Mac Allister, the home team’s designated corner taker, in an attempt to start play as soon as possible, especially with the clock running out to the full-time whistle. He uploaded the video to Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/alihamidi/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=226ef694-dc92-4392-a268-b95410982e93
Bobby Zamora, a former centre forward for Fulham and West Ham, praised the supporter’s efforts by writing, “Class mate.” The Anfield supporters have also been quick to commend Ali’s quick-wittedness.
One supporter cited Divock Origi’s goal in the Champions League 2018–19 semifinal matchup against Barcelona, when Liverpool’s incredible comeback was made possible by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fast thinking:
“I’m going to tell my kids that this was the ‘Corner Taken Quickly’.”
Another added, “That lad likely just won us the league,” with the belief that Ali’s contribution may help Liverpool win the Premier League for the second time ever. Another Anfield supporter only said, “What a video.”
After Salah and Van Dijk, Liverpool must offer a new contract to a “10/10” star, according to Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
The 32-year-old has had a successful 2024–2025 season.
Another clarified how the supporter’s quick responses helped Liverpool. “With all the rapid movement, Virgil would have been either a second ahead or behind if the ball boy had been a second sooner or slower. Virgil was in the ideal position to head it in because of this incident.
The champions-elect will next travel to relegation-bound Leicester City on April 20 and then host Tottenham Hotspur the following week. The Reds will be declared English champions if they win all three of their next league games.
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