Summary:
- Eze slots home from close-range after a fantastic team move.
- Mateta dinks Alisson but Robertson clears off the line to prevent Palace adding a second.
- Henderson saves superbly from Diaz’ flying scissor-kick volley.
- Endo smashes against the crossbar from six yards out.
- Alisson saves from Eze and Olise.
- HT: Liverpool 0-1 Palace
- Henderson blocks from Nunez’ powerful close-range effort.
- Jota is denied by Clyne’s goal-line clearance.
- Alisson produces an extraordinary save to stop Mateta making it two.
- Jones is one-on-one with the goalkeeper but fires wide.
- Palace hold on in remarkable finale.
- FT: Liverpool 0-1 Palace
After their European defeat to Atalanta on Thursday night, there was a palpable sense of tension around Anfield come kick-off – and it was a tension that Oliver Glasner’s Palace exploited.
The Eagles harried and harassed Liverpool in possession, prompting errors not often seen from a Jürgen Klopp side. The interplay between Michael Olise, Ebere Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta was superb.
It is one thing applying pressure, but it is quite another to make it count, which is what the Eagles did at the Kop end. It was a fabulous team move, as Adam Wharton picked out Olise, who slid Tyrick Mitchell in behind. The left-back picked his head up and found Eze, unaccountably in acres of space just outside the six-yard box, who slotted home.
The lead was almost doubled just a few minutes later, as a catastrophic slip from Virgil van Dijk allowed Mateta in on goal. He advanced on Alisson and chipped the ‘keeper, but Andy Robertson raced back and cleared off the line in the nick of time – the goalline technology showed there was just inches in it.
At the other end, Liverpool looked to hit back. Dean Henderson made a remarkable save to keep out Luis Diaz’ flying scissor-kick when it looked inevitable that the net would be bulging, before Wataru Endo smashed against the crossbar from the resulting corner.
But the Eagles were a constant threat on the counter even during Liverpool’s periods of dominance. Eze and Olise had efforts saved by Alisson, while Mateta headed narrowly wide just before half-time.
Klopp made a change at the break to demonstrate his displeasure, and the hosts began the second-half with renewed ambition. Henderson was forced into another fantastic stop as Nunez smashed goalwards from just eight yards out, standing bravely to block.
On came Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo with 25 minutes remaining in a further attempt for the Liverpool boss to turn things around – and the chances began to come.
Van Dijk rose highest from a corner but headed wide, while Jota was denied by Clyne’s block on the line after looking ready to slot home; moments later Curtis Jones was in on goal, but fired wide.
At the other end, Alisson made an extraordinary save to deny Mateta from just a couple of yards out, as the Palace striker smashed at goal with enough power to beat most goalkeepers.
The game became ever more frenetic as the clock ticked down, with Liverpool throwing everything at the Palace goal and the Eagles defending with desperation to get the result over the line.
Tyrick Mitchell made a remarkable block on the line in the dying moments, and the Palace resistance held. Three points and an extraordinary performance for Oliver Glasner's side, and Anfield silenced.
Liverpool: Alisson (GK), Bradley (Alexander-Arnold, 48), van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Jones (Elliott, 81), Endo (Szoboszlai, HT), Mac Allister, Salah, Diaz (Jota, 67), Nunez (Gakpo, 67).
Subs: Kelleher (GK), Gomez, Gravenberch, Quansah.
Palace: Henderson (GK), Muñoz, Clyne (Ward, 77), Andersen, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes (Schlupp, 77), Wharton, Eze (Riedewald, 77), Olise (Ayew, 68), Mateta (Edouard, 90).
Subs: Matthews (GK), Tomkins, Ahamada, Ozoh.