MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Virgil van Dijk headed home a dramatic winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time to earn Liverpool a 2-1 victory at Everton in a Merseyside derby featuring a record-tying goal from Mohamed Salah on Sunday.
Salah, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nine trophy-filled seasons, marked his final derby by slotting in a low finish in the 29th minute. His ninth Merseyside derby goal drew him even with Liverpool great Steven Gerrard for the most in the Premier League era (since 1992).
It was Liverpool's other stalwart, Van Dijk, who sealed the win by turning in a corner by Dominik Szoboszlai.
There was so much stoppage time because Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced off on a stretcher after sustaining an injury attempting in vain to save a 54th-minute shot by Beto that brought Everton level.
Liverpool moved seven points clear of sixth-place Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification, with the top five assured of a berth in Europe's top competition next season.
A win for Everton in the first derby at its new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock would have lifted the team just two points behind Liverpool.
Aston Villa consolidated its spot among the Champions League qualification places by beating Sunderland 4-3 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Tammy Abraham.
Villa stayed in fourth place, behind Manchester United on goal difference, but moved 10 points ahead of sixth-place Chelsea with five rounds remaining.
Ollie Watkins scored a first-half double and also set up Morgan Rogers for Villa’s other goal against Sunderland, which briefly equalized through Chris Rigg to make it 1-1 and then scored in the 86th and 87th minutes via Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor, respectively.
Morgan Gibbs-White scored a second-half hat trick as Nottingham Forest rallied to beat Burnley 4-1 and further boost its survival hopes.
Forest moved five points clear of third-to-last Tottenham in the relegation zone, while next-to-last Burnley slipped closer to the drop to the Championship.
Igor Jesus scored a late fourth for Forest, which fell behind to Zian Flemming's goal in first-half stoppage time.
Later, it could be a defining day in the title race when Manchester City host Arsenal in a meeting between the top two. The Premier League trophy is on display, pitchside, at Etihad Stadium for the big occasion.
A win for Arsenal and the long-time league leaders will regain a nine-point advantage, leaving them in a strong position to become English champions for the first time since 2004.
A win for City and the gap would be reduced to three points. City would also have a game in hand, at next-to-last Burnley on Wednesday. After that, both teams would have five matches left.
A draw would suit Arsenal more, keeping a six-point cushion between the teams.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates scoring his side's third goal to complete his hat-trick during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Burnley in Nottingham, England, Sunday April 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
FILE - Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres dribbles during the World Cup qualifying soccer match between Slovenia and Sweden at the Stozice stadium in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)
LONDON (AP) — U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies, as the country's chief rabbi said British Jews are facing a campaign of violence and intimidation.
The Metropolitan Police force says counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues and other sites linked to the Jewish community, as well as an attack on a Persian-language media company.
No one has been injured in the blazes, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue on Saturday night.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the attacks had been claimed online by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia.
“We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran. As you would expect, we will continue to explore that question as our investigation evolves," she said.
“I’ve spoken previously about the Iranian regime’s use of criminal proxies, and we’re considering whether this tactic is being used here in London," she added.
Israel’s government has described Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a recently founded group with suspected links to “an Iranian proxy” that has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The police force has deployed extra uniformed and plainclothes officers to northwest London after attacks in the past month on synagogues, Jewish charity ambulances and a Persian-language media organization critical of Iran’s government.
In the most serious incident, four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were torched on March 23 in the Golders Green neighborhood,
No one has been injured in any of the incidents, which all happened within a few miles of each other. Several people, ranging in age from teens to people in their 40s, have been arrested and charged.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said on X that “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum.
“Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society,” he added.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attacks, and pledged that "those responsible will be found and brought to justice.
"This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain," Starmer said.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia also posted a video claiming Israel’s London embassy was going to be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances. Police said the embassy was not attacked, but the force shut the nearby Kensington Gardens park on Friday as officers examined discarded items including two jars containing powder. Police said nothing harmful was found.
The U.K. has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service says that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year to October.
Some security experts say Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia is likely a flag of convenience rather than a coherent group, and its claims should be treated with caution.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said any “thugs for hire” who carried out such attacks would face justice.
“Let’s be really clear — it’s a mug’s game,” he said. “That’s what people who are now serving long prison sentences have found out, and the same fate awaits those responsible for these recent crimes.”
FILE - A sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Police officers patrol at a cordon near Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, a suburb of London, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Jamie Lashmar/PA via AP)
