Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park, inflicting a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat on the hosts and leaving head coach Pierre Sage in a perilous position with his side bottom of the table. Eddie Nketiah pulled a goal back from the spot with the last kick of the game, but the damage was already done.
Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz struck for Liverpool either side of half time, and Alexander Isak added a third late on. The win ends back-to-back defeats at Arsenal and Fenerbahce. It is Liverpool’s first victory in three games in all competitions, and it lifts them up to fourth in the table.
Alisson keeps Liverpool in it
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, arguably Liverpool’s best player, kept his side in the contest with important saves to deny Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton in a first half that also saw Palace hit the bar through Yeremy Pino. He finished with six saves.
Palace’s hard work was undone five minutes before the break. Quinten Timber lost Mac Allister, allowing the Argentina international to head in his fifth goal of the season, as many as he managed in the entirety of last season.
Liverpool’s two £100m players then combined to double their lead. Bradley Barcola found Wirtz after a swift counter-attack, and the Germany international finished to score his first league goal of the season, ending a 12-game barren run in the competition.
With the game already sealed, Isak made it 3-0 in the 89th minute with a deflected strike. Palace pulled one back deep into stoppage time. Milos Kerkez was judged to have fouled substitute Dario Osorio in the box, and Nketiah converted the penalty.
Sage under growing pressure
Nketiah’s spot kick prevented Sage from becoming the first Palace head coach since Frank de Boer to lose four games in a row without scoring. Still, Sage faces the same fate as De Boer, who was sacked after his fourth defeat in that run.
Former Liverpool defender Carra expects the club to act. “I think that would have been one of the best Crystal Palace performances this season. Liverpool won 3-1 away from home but their goalkeeper was their best player. That tells you how well Palace did.
“But I don’t think you can hang your hat on the performance, especially with a new guy into the Premier League. He’s really struggled so far.
“I don’t think you can take the risk as an owner when you think of the finances involved. Palace – 14 seasons in the Premier League, we don’t expect them to be [bottom]. They’re an established Premier League club.
“I think the decision will be made, unfortunately for Pierre Sage. I think Palace will have a new manager the next time they play in the Premier League.”
Asked about his future, Sage avoided the question. “We have to continue our work, be more efficient in what we do, I have to be really close to the players to create the atmosphere for the confidence and the initiative in the play. For the moment, we don’t have the results expected.”
On whether the board still has faith in him, Sage said: “You have to ask them. In my position, I’m focused on what I have to do. I analyse what happened and try to change things. All the other decisions are not for me.”
Analysis: Alisson’s reminder of his brilliance
Liverpool hit three at Palace with three £100m-plus players involved in the goals: Wirtz, Isak and, with an assist, Barcola. Yet Alisson was Liverpool’s best performer. His save from Kamada’s volley was an exceptional reaction stop, and two minutes later Liverpool took the lead. He then pushed away Wharton’s header to send Liverpool into the break ahead, and on 77 minutes he denied Pino a one-on-one with the score at 2-0.
Alisson benefited from Pino hitting the bar early and lost his clean sheet to a late penalty, but in between he reminded everyone why he has been the Premier League’s standout goalkeeper since arriving in 2018.
Palace’s leaky defence
Crystal Palace have conceded 24 Premier League goals this season, their most in their first 10 matches of any league campaign since 1980-81, when they also conceded 24.
Only Chelsea (8) have conceded more goals from non-penalty set-pieces in the Premier League this season than Palace (6).
Liverpool have earned more points away from home this season than any other side (13). That equals their joint-most ever from the first five away matches of a league campaign.