Football
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
AnfieldAttendance60,090.
Report and free match highlights as Liverpool miss the chance to move to the top of the Premier League table and suffer a big blow to their title ambitions as Eberechi Eze’s early goal is enough to give Crystal Palace a 1-0 win at Anfield
Comment and Analysis @ghostgoal
Monday 15 April 2024 06:05, UK
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Liverpool suffered a major blow to their Premier League title hopes as they were shockingly beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace at Anfield.
Eberechi Eze finished a smart team move early in the game for Oliver Glasner’s visitors and though Jurgen Klopp’s side pushed hard for the equaliser, their wastefulness in front of goal proved costly with Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah among those culpable.
Palace had chances to extend their lead, Jean-Philippe Mateta having one effort cleared off the line by Andy Robertson and another saved superbly by the returning Alisson but they did not need a second. The three points lift them above Brentford into 14th.
But the consequences for Liverpool are more significant. Having started the day in third, this was an opportunity to move back to the top of the Premier League table. Instead, they risk falling off the pace, Klopp’s final season in danger of finishing in disappointment.
Liverpool: Alisson (7), Bradley (6), Van Dijk (6), Konate (5), Robertson (7), Mac Allister (6), Endo (5), Jones (6), Diaz (6), Salah (5), Nunez (5).
Subs: Szoboszlai (6), Alexander-Arnold (5), Jota (5), Gakpo (7), Elliott (6).
Crystal Palace: Henderson (9), Munoz (7), Clyne (8), Andersen (9), Mitchell (9), Lerma (8), Hughes (7), Wharton (8), Eze (8), Olise (7), Mateta (7).
Subs: Ayew (6), Ward (7), Schlupp (6), Riedewald (6), Edouard (n/a).
Player of the Match: Joachim Andersen.
Liverpool were looking to respond to their defeat to Atalanta but Palace started stronger, Eze testing Alisson within the first minute of the match. He did not have to wait long to find the net, finishing off a slick move that saw Tyrick Mitchell find him from the left.
With Michael Olise back alongside him in the line-up, Eze was a real menace, although it was hulking striker Mateta who came close to doubling the advantage soon after. He beat Alisson but Robertson’s goal-line clearance denied the Palace man his moment.
Liverpool were ragged at times in the opening 45 minutes, although they did create chances. Wataru Endo scooped the ball against the crossbar, while Luis Diaz was denied by Dean Henderson from a tight angle. But Palace’s threat on the counter-attack remained.
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Klopp made an attacking substitution at half-time, bringing on Dominik Szoboszlai for Endo, and an injury to Conor Bradley saw him turn to Trent Alexander-Arnold minutes into the second half. Liverpool threw everything at Palace and chances started to flow.
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Darwin Nunez had a glorious chance to level it from close range but struck the bouncing ball straight at Henderson. Klopp threw on Jota and Cody Gakpo but still the equalising goal would not come, even as the pressure on Palace continued to grow.
Jota had a wonderful chance when set up by Szoboszlai but his tame effort was blocked by Nathaniel Clyne. Mateta had a straightforward chance at the other end after latching onto Joachim Andersen’s knockdown but Alisson somehow contrived to deflect it wide.
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It was desperate stuff and the misses kept coming – Jones directed his shot wide of the target after being put through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Liverpool’s finishing had been questioned even before the game, but this was outrageously wasteful.
Salah – “not at the races,” according to Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher – thought he had his goal late on but Mitchell again blocked from near the line. The equaliser eluded them and so it seems will this title in Klopp’s final season, one that has unravelled in a miserable week.
“The first half was absolutely not good enough,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “We showed a reaction second half. We lost conviction from the last game. We concede the goal, which is a horrible goal. A completely free player in the six-yard box, that cannot happen.
“From that moment on, Crystal Palace didn’t have that many. We controlled the second half better. I think we can easily say, if you don’t score with these chances, what can you say? We tried a structure change and caused them real problems.
“If you would look at my teams throughout the years, you would say our pressing is good, our counter-press is there, but it is just we are open. How can that happen? Curtis was the only one really chasing. They could play through. It was horrible to watch.
“That’s how humans react sometimes. It happens. The conviction was not there. We were far apart from each other, last line too deep, midfield not really there. First line didn’t really start the press. That’s all true. Where it’s coming from? I cannot answer that 100 per cent.
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“Here we stand, lost the game, feel really rubbish and now we need a bit of time to process that. It’s a really bad moment, the second home game in a row we lose. I cannot pick anyone up in this moment, that would not be honest. I stand here and feel really average, or below. I cannot change the world in interviews. I need time to think about it.
“If we play like we did in the first half, why should we win the league? If we play like we did in the second half yeah, we can pick up points here and there.”
“First half was really brilliant, how we played and defended,” Palace boss Glasner told Sky Sports. “Also the confidence we had in possession, with the goal we scored. What was perfect was our patience, our desire, our spirit.
“There was so much pressure from Liverpool and we defended with every single cell. We got the rewards so congrats on the team for the performance. We needed everybody on their best level.
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“We defended as a team and that’s what it needs to have a clean sheet here. It was a great afternoon for us. Second half we didn’t have the ball for many minutes. We had a great mentality.
“In some situations you need the luck, but you don’t get it as a gift, you have to deserve it. And today the players deserved it because of their spirit and passion. I was proud to be the manager of this team.”
“The damage was done at Manchester United last week,” said Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp, referring to the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in a game that Liverpool dominated. Once again, their wastefulness in front of goal has cost them points – and perhaps the title.
“You can see the effect it had in midweek. They have not been able to take chances and put teams away. They just did not look like scoring. It should have been 6-2 in the end. But they just haven’t got that belief right now. That is how it can turn on you sometimes.”
Liverpool head to Atalanta on Thursday April 18 for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final. Kick-off 8pm.
Their next Premier League fixture is then at Fulham on Sunday April 21, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 4.30pm. Liverpool visit rivals Everton three days later which is also live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 4.30pm.
Crystal Palace host West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday April 21. Kick-off 3pm.
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