- Liverpool’s woes continue, defeat to Crystal Palace reflects broader struggles
- Defensive lapses and missed chances contribute to Liverpool’s downfall
- Palace’s strong performance exposes Liverpool’s vulnerabilities at Anfield
The response to the final whistle provided insight into a week in which Liverpool suffered severe damage. Oliver Glasner’s performance in Jürgen Klopp’s loss for Crystal Palace resonated at both ends of the table. Following his congratulatory remarks, Glasner sigmoidly rubbed his head in despair. Andy Robertson entered a trance and slumped to his haunches. Despondent spectators exited the building in silence. Liverpool blink first in a championship contest with the narrowest margins.
Liverpool, who were soundly defeated by Atalanta in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals on Thursday, once more struggled at Anfield. Palace’s first-half dominance was rewarded with an early goal from Eberechi Eze, which ultimately improved Liverpool’s chances of remaining secure in the Premier League. It is possible that the club that suffered Klopp’s initial Premier League loss squandered his prospects of securing the league championship.
In front of their supporters, Liverpool has not lost two consecutive home games since March 2021, during the Covid-19 season played behind closed doors, and not since January 2017. The only ones to blame for their sloppy play in the first half and wasteful play in the second is a squad that was struggling on four fronts just one month prior.
The ecstatic Palace manager praised the team’s performance in the first half, during which they “played football with confidence and created opportunities.” “Also, for the zeal and determination we displayed during the second half as we defended under intense pressure.” In equal measure, the two personalities of the visitors exposed and frustrated Liverpool.
Before kickoff, Anfield paid poignant homage to the 97 Liverpool supporters who were unlawfully murdered at Hillsborough. On the eve of the disaster’s 35th anniversary, following a moving performance of You’ll Never Walk Alone, a minute of silence was observed in remembrance of the fatalities and a “97” mosaic was installed on the Kop.
Klopp had pledged a response following the shocking Europa League loss. In contrast, Liverpool’s lacklustre performance in the first half continued the trend. They once more exhibited a sluggish demeanour, were negligent with the ball, and struggled to maintain focus during the defence.
Alisson, who was making his first start since sustaining a hamstring injury against Arsenal in February, was also afflicted by the malady. Palace capitalised on the errors and merited their interval lead, which ought and could have been more substantial.
Liverpool was penetrated by the visitors, whose performance was elevated by the extraordinarily gifted tandem of Michael Olise and Eze. Down their left flank, they delighted Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konaté, who both succumbed to suspected ankle ligament damage in the second half.
A fluid Palace passing sequence involving Adam Wharton, Olise, and Tyrick Mitchell sliced open Klopp’s squad. The defender retrieved the ball from the byline and passed it back to Eze via Wataru Endo’s knees; Eze then drilled a pinpoint finish past the primary custodian for Liverpool. Due to the slow reactions of both Konaté and Virgil van Dijk, Eze was left entirely unmarked in front of the goal.
It was the fourth time Liverpool had conceded first in its previous five Premier League home contests. This season, they have miraculously recovered 27 points from losing positions, but this time it was impossible to recover from familiar ground.
A split second should have passed before Liverpool regained their composure. Van Dijk’s error provided an opportunity for Jean-Philippe Mateta to seize Eze’s pass and advance towards the goal. Although the striker succeeded in lofting his attempt past Alisson, it was devoid of force, and Robertson skillfully cleared it at the line.
Robertson was the only Liverpool player to perform at the necessary level during the initial half. Endo crushed a left-back corner kick against the crossbar for Palace. Additionally, the captain of Scotland delivered an exquisite cross to Luis Díaz, whose dazzling volley was blocked by Dean Henderson.
Following a sluggish performance by Liverpool for the second time in four days, Klopp opted to alter his squad during the interval. Dominik Szoboszlai filled in for the exhausted Endo, thereby infusing the room that had been severely deficient in vitality and precision with his presence. As a consequence, Liverpool vastly improved, but their woeful execution only added to the misery at Anfield.
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When Nez was in front of Van Dijk’s header from a Robertson corner, he was presented with a tremendous opportunity. The Uruguayan international made a strong connection, but his effort from point-blank range was deflected over after colliding with Henderson. A comparable save was made by Mateta from Alisson when the exceptional Joachim Andersen headed an Eze free-kick back across the goal. With less than two yards remaining, the striker misdirected his attempt at the Brazilian and missed the goal with a gaping hole.
Liverpool were also culpable for several errors that were hardly credible. Diogo Jota appeared poised to score when Szoboszlai drew Henderson before the unusually clinical forward squaring. Jota shared this sentiment, but his inaugural attempt was blocked by former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne and rebounded away.
Curtis Jones was held accountable for the most conspicuous error when Cody Gakpo skillfully played him through on goal. The midfielder ran with the ball, glanced up to see Henderson making progress, and missed the target horribly. In the first of seven minutes of stoppage time, the impressive Mitchell thwarted a close-range effort from Mohamed Salah, but that was all a title-chasing squad could muster after a disciplinary week. Desires for additional cutlery are diminishing.
