Despite Crystal Palace's recent win at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium and Palace's record of three wins in their last four games at Anfield, many pundits didn't give Crystal Palace a chance in hell against Liverpool, on Saturday. However, Palace have been something of a bogey time for Liverpool in recent seasons; Roy Hodgson had never lost a game at Anfield as the opposition manager and the last time Liverpool lost at Anfield was against Palace, on St George's Day, 2017, before a 31 home game unbeaten run, now 32.
Palace's record of eight clean sheets this season is the best of any team outside the top four and Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in 12 of their last 16 home games, conceding only 3 all season, so the Anfield faithful took to their seats expecting to see a tight and tetchy affair.
So, true to form, the match turned out to be one of those high-scoring, topsy-turvy encounters, that required my steal underpants, last deployed on the 3rd of January and despite injury concerns at center back being eased by the return to fitness of Matip, there is now a shortage at right-back, with James Milner standing in for an injured Alexander-Arnold and Milner was given a red card during the game that will make this situation worse during his ban. Against Palace, Liverpool's defense seemed to be all at sea, the defensive organisation lacking, perhaps temporarily left behind in the Dubai sun, where the team had just returned from a break.
In midfield, Wijnaldum was absent as a result of a lingering knee problem and it was noticeable how Liverpool were less able to control the game without him. Fabinho had to be replaced during the game, so let's hope this is not too much of an issue, because he is a utility player that can play in central defense, as well as offering Liverpool's attacking play more threat with his forward balls into dangerous areas in the opposition box.
On the eve of the match, the self-styled 'special one', Mourinho had made some typically ungracious remarks about Jürgen Klopp, whose 3-1 win over Mourinho's United had hastened José's departure from Old Trafford, even dismissing the two Bundesliga titles Klopp won with Dortmund, because Bayern Munich were ‘s***’ at that time and did not fully challenge them (Dortmund). Does José need to be adored, or he''ll morph into the sulky one?
This week, Shaqiri had also spoken of the winning mentality and belief that has developed in the Liverpool dressing room and the need to keep going throughout the season. A game unfolded proved that would prove to be a test of the players' resolve.
From the first whistle, Liverpool showed all the attacking intent and enjoyed the lion's share of possession, only for Crystal Palace to conjure-up a goal on the break with their first attack of the game, as their game plan seemed to be to encourage Liverpool to press forward and pass their way out of it into the space left behind. It worked out well for them after managing to fend off two near Liverpool interceptions, as they found Zaha on the wing, who left Milner for dead to pick-out Townsend in the box for a close range finish, in the 34th minute.
Liverpool struggled to produce a response before half-time and the home side left the field at half-time trailing, as a quiet, nervous Anfield were beginning to think it was going to be one of those days. The news emerged this week that Klopp has decided to put-off the signing of a new contract to concentrate on trying to bring the title back to Anfield this season and he had work to do in the home dressing room at half-time.
Klopp no doubt had a lot to say to his players during the break, because his side's response came early in the second-half after a high tempo restart with a Mo Salah goal, in the 46th minute, that had more than a hint of good fortune about it after it fell into Salah's path from a deflected Van Dijk shot.
The goal noticeably lifted the noise-levels from the home faithful and the spirit of the home side, a Firmino goal coming shortly after in the 53rd minute, his shot into the right corner of the goal had the Palace goalkeeper clutching at the air. But, as somebody used to say, it's a funny old game and far from this being the start a patient Liverpool performance that held firm in at the back, the nervous atmosphere returned, after some uncharacteristically bad defending by Liverpool from a corner, that saw Palace get back on level terms in the 65th minute with a clear header by Tomkins, Van Dijk being held by a Palace player to prevent him moving across to defend the space.
The 71st minute saw Shaqiri replace Keita, whose role on the left side of midfield hadn't exactly been a success. This hasn't been Keita's season, but one wonders whether this may just be Liverpool's season after all, because the second goal by Mo Salah from close range was also fortuitous, as the 3rd choice Palace goalkeeper, Speroni (39) fumbled Milner's cross for Salah's 50th goal in the Premier League for Liverpool in 72 appearances and just three players have achieved this landmark in fewer games; Andy Cole (65), Alan Shearer (66) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (68).
After Milner twice hacked down his afternoon's tormentor, Zaha, that led to his dismissal, Liverpool added a fourth from the boot of Mane, three minutes into stoppage time, although there were suspicions of a handball by Robertson in the build-up to the goal, missed by the linesman rooted to the spot some distance away.
But there was to be more late drama, when Max Meyer scored a Palace third, 5 minutes into stoppage time as Palace chased the draw, pushing Liverpool back, but the reds hung on until the final whistle after 7 minutes of stoppage time in total.
This was a test of Liverpool's character and winning mentality that they managed to pass, on the day they remembered their legendary former manager, Bob Paisley, with an emotional tribute. Phew!
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