For 45 minutes, Liverpool played as well as they have all season. Utterly dominating the first half, they should have been out of sight at the interval. Ultimately though, Diogo Jota’s early strike was enough to clinch the game, yet they were again grateful for several smart saves from Alisson Becker for keeping Palace at bay.
Having had an early scare, when Crystal Palace had a first minute effort ruled out for off-side, Liverpool completely controlled a first-half in which Jota should probably have had a hat-trick. The goal he did score was a superb team move, running onto a pinpoint cross from Cody Gakpo. The Flying Dutchman replaced Luis Diaz in a starting 11 that also included Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas, who also played his part in the ninth minute goal, having found Gakpo with a defence splitting pass. It all looked so easy, and similar crisp passing throughout the team looked like it would yield further goals, as the Eagles struggled to get out of their own half.
The second goal though never came. Jota was guilty of a glaring miss from almost an identical position from which he scored. On another occasion, Trent and Salah somehow tackled each other when in another promising position, whilst corner after corner didn’t quite provide the opening for Liverpool to stretch their lead.
Of course, the danger when so dominant, if the second goal doesn’t come, is that you get hit on the break. Palace, having barely ventured into Liverpool’s penalty box for almost 45 minutes, produced such a break, but Sarr was unable to beat Alison.
Having failed to double their lead, Liverpool would have expected a better second-half performance from the hosts, and were again grateful to Alisson for continuing to repel Palace. Eze and Nketiah were both denied by the Brazilian, who was later forced to leave the field following what looked like a pulled hamstring. The injury, which could well keep Alisson out for up to a month, meant a league debut for Vitezslav Jaros.
No doubt the Czech international goalkeeper was nervous, but Liverpool defended well and he was really only called upon once in the final 20 minutes. An easy save from Eze as close as the south Londoners came to what would have been an undeserved equaliser.
So Liverpool head into the international break top of the Premier League, Arne Slot having won nine of his opening ten fixtures. Trickier games lie ahead though, and Alisson, a world class goalkeeper, who appears to suffer from more of his fair share of injuries, will be yet again on the treatment table.
