Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace: Jurgen Klopp’s side suffer blow to Premier League title hopes

Andy Robertson insisted Liverpool will “hold combating” regardless of their Premier League title hopes struggling an enormous blow as they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds ramped up the strain within the second half however, simply as in latest video games towards Manchester United and Atalanta, their ending allow them to down as they fell to a primary league loss at house since October 2022.

Defeat leaves Liverpool two factors behind leaders Manchester City and stage on factors with Arsenal earlier than the Gunners’ recreation towards Aston Villa in a while Sunday.

“I believe we’re at all times nonetheless in it. We are nonetheless there,” Liverpool full-back Robertson advised Sky Sports. “We will hold combating, hold going to the top, and let’s examine the place it will get us.

“With six video games to go we are going to give it every little thing we now have obtained. The drawback is there’s two world-class groups doing it as nicely and that is the tough half.”

Palace began brightly and led by means of Eze’s well-worked opener, earlier than a slip from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave Jean-Philippe Mateta a golden alternative to double their lead.

The striker was clear by means of and lifted his effort previous the returning Alisson Becker however Scotland skipper Robertson sprinted again to hook the ball off the road.

Liverpool rallied and Wataru Endo struck the bar after Palace failed to cope with a nook earlier than Dean Henderson made a wonderful response save to deny Luis Diaz.

Oliver Glasner’s Palace retained a menace on the counter-attack till the break however had been largely penned inside their very own half within the second 45 minutes.

Henderson made one other excellent cease from Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota’s close-range effort was blocked by Nathaniel Clyne with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen and Curtis Jones in some way sliced vast when by means of on objective.

Mateta did have one other massive probability to rating the guests’ second from a uncommon Palace assault however Alisson made a outstanding save from point-blank vary.

Liverpool stored pushing for an equaliser however couldn’t discover a means by means of, with Mohamed Salah’s goalbound effort from contained in the six-yard field blocked by Mitchell in stoppage time.

The Reds at the moment are left to mirror on a doubtlessly decisive loss with simply six matches remaining within the league marketing campaign.

Nightmare week leaves Reds’ season on brink

Liverpool headed into final Sunday’s match at Old Trafford two factors clear on the high of the league desk and favourites to win the Europa League.

Per week on and each trophies seem to be slipping out of their grasp.

If there was a standard theme throughout the three video games previously seven days, it has been the Reds’ profligacy in entrance of objective.

At Manchester United and towards Atalanta, they created numerous probabilities and it was no totally different towards Palace, particularly within the second half.

Once extra although they lacked the ruthlessness to make them rely.

Even after a lacklustre first-half displaying, Liverpool did greater than sufficient to win the sport however the essential remaining contact abandoned them.

“In greater than 20 years whenever you watch my groups, the press and counter-press is fairly good [and on] some days it’s excellent,” Klopp advised BBC Match of the Day.

“In the primary half, it was nothing after which we had been 1-0 down. I’d say with the probabilities we had, we had been actually unfortunate.

“You may stand right here on one other day and see the identical balls go in and we’re speaking a few 4-1 win, however soccer does not work like that.”

With six league video games and a Europa League second leg nonetheless to play all isn’t misplaced, but when Liverpool are to ship a fairytale ending to Klopp’s time in cost they may have to be good from right here.

However, even that will now not be sufficient.

Palace present glimpse of thrilling future beneath Glasner

While Liverpool will rue their missed probabilities, Palace would possibly rightly argue they might have had the sport wrapped up earlier than the vast majority of them arrived.

This was a extremely spectacular displaying from Glasner’s side – notably within the first half once they sensed their hosts’ vulnerability and took benefit.

Eze continued to discover pockets of house from which to harm Liverpool and Mateta did all he may to make life as uncomfortable as doable for Ibrahima Konate and Van Dijk.

It was the tenacity and sophistication of Adam Wharton that basically shone by means of. Alongside Will Hughes, the 20-year-old repeatedly harried Liverpool’s midfielders, received the ball again and picked the suitable cross.

After the break, it was the flip of Palace’s defenders and Henderson to come to the fore.

Joachim Andersen, the one recognised centre-back within the guests’ XI, was supreme in marshalling a again three that additionally contained full-back Clyne and midfielder Jefferson Lerma.

Liverpool may undoubtedly have been extra medical however Palace made it as robust as doable for them by throwing our bodies in the best way of each shot.

On the events a defender couldn’t make a block, Henderson was there to save – together with his positioning and reactions enabling him to make quite a few unlikely stops.

“We can say we did it our means, you possibly can at all times lose right here, nevertheless it’s about having the ability to categorical your self and play with confidence,” Glasner advised Match of the Day.

“We cleared many conditions beneath strain with one, two contact. We scored a tremendous objective. It’s about confidence, staff spirit, ardour.”

A primary league win since Glasner’s first recreation in cost on the finish of February was one to savour, with greater than sufficient to tantalise Palace followers about what the longer term might maintain beneath the Austrian.

Player of the match

EzeEberechi Eze