It seemed Virgil van Dijk was at fault for West Ham’s equalizer when he collided with Andrew Robertson in the penalty area, costing Liverpool two points. However, just three minutes later, he appeared at the other end of the pitch, heading in Alexis Mac Allister’s corner after shrugging off Nicolas Füllkrug, making amends for his error.

Robertson, who had angrily shouted at the team captain moments earlier, was one of the first to celebrate with Van Dijk by the corner flag, kissing his forehead. On the sidelines, Liverpool manager Arne Slot raised his fist in triumph—he wants to secure the Premier League title as soon as possible, and now only two wins separate them from that goal.

After Arsenal dropped points again with a 1-1 draw against Brentford on Saturday, this win was a crucial psychological boost for Liverpool at Anfield. The Reds’ 2-1 victory over West Ham extended their lead over second-placed Arsenal to 13 points.

In reality, there should have been no anxiety. Liverpool has been the undisputed champion for weeks, but Van Dijk’s performance in the closing minutes against West Ham showed there was still some tension.

However, although Van Dijk’s leadership was questioned in that moment, minutes later, another aspect of his leadership became clear. He ensured he headed Mac Allister’s cross himself, pushing aside Füllkrug to score the winning goal.

After scoring, Van Dijk kissed the club’s badge in front of the fans—a clear message: He intends to stay at Anfield like Mohamed Salah. The Dutch star is not yet ready to leave the club, and Jamie Carragher shared a theory about why he hasn’t made an official announcement yet.

Carragher told Sky Sports before the match: “I think we’ll hear news about Van Dijk next week. Perhaps the club didn’t want to announce two big players on the same day. Maybe they didn’t want Salah and Van Dijk’s media attention to overshadow each other. Mohamed Salah had his moment a few days ago, and I’m sure Van Dijk’s turn will come next week.”