Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool have developed a habit of scoring late goals and at just the right time this season. If this doesn’t fire them to the Premier League title this season, surely nothing will.
Their eight-point lead is the second-biggest at this stage of a Premier League season (Manchester United were nine points clear in 1993-94), and they are firm favourites with the SBOBET Premier League 2019 betting odds to win their inaugural crown.
Make no mistake, this was a tough encounter, but Jurgen Klopp’s men preserved their eight-point advantage at the summit, despite not being at their most fluent.
Highlights of the game
Liverpool could not have travelled to the capital in better form after defeating the champions last time out to move nine points clear of them. In recent times, Selhurst Park has also been a happy hunting ground for the runaway leaders.
But this time, they came up against a Palace side determined to put on a show in what was their 10th consecutive league match in London (no team has ever played 10 successive Premier League games in the same city before).
Palace thought they had taken a lead on the stroke of half-time through defender James Tomkins, only for it to be ruled out by the video assistant referee after Jordan Ayew was adjudged to have fouled Dejan Lovren.
To make things worse for Palace, they found themselves behind shortly after the restart as the in-form Sadio Mane fired home a left-foot opener from an Andrew Robertson cross.
Palace delivered one of their personal Premier League 2019 highlights when Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend – the two players who make them tick – combined for the former to level matters on 82 minutes.
Yet Liverpool were determined to secure all three points when Roberto Firmino pounced five minutes from time. It was a scrappy fourth goal of the season but unquestionably one of his most important in a Liverpool shirt.
Zaha could and perhaps should have earned Palace a point with a late opportunity, but the resilience of the leaders has to be admired as their quest continues for the prize which has eluded them for so long.
Defeat was ultimately hard on Palace and Roy Hodgson, a veteran boss who was never given a fair opportunity during his six months on Merseyside and with a reputation greater than many realise, yet Liverpool march on.
Their name appears to be on the trophy, even in November!
Key statistics
Mane has scored eight goals in 10 Premier League games against Crystal Palace, including in each of his last five appearances in this fixture.
He is only the third Liverpool player to score in five consecutive Premier League games against a particular opponent, after Michael Owen against Newcastle and Luis Suarez against Norwich.
Since the start of last season, Liverpool have scored 38 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League (including penalties), eight more than any other club.
Also since the start of 2018/19, no player has provided more Premier League assists than Robertson (16, which is level with Ryan Fraser of Bournemouth).
Liverpool have won six consecutive away games against Crystal Palace in all competitions, having failed to win any of their previous six at Selhurst Park.
They have scored 26 Premier League away goals versus Palace, six more than any other team.
Crystal Palace have lost seven of the past eight Premier League meetings, including each of the last five.
Palace are winless in five Premier League games, conceding two goals each time (draw one, lost four).
They’ve suffered three consecutive home league defeats for the first time in 20 months.
Palace are winless in 13 Premier League matches at Selhurst Park against established top-six sides since beating then champions Chelsea in October 2017 (drawn two, lost 11).
Their meagre tally of five goals scored at home this season is the lowest in the Premier League other than bottom club Watford.
This was Luka Milivojevic’s 100th Premier League appearance for Palace.
Liverpool have lost just one of their past 52 league matches, and none in 30. They are one shy of the club’s longest unbeaten top-flight run, set between May 1987 and March 1988.
However, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 consecutive matches for the first time since a run of 11 in a row from April to September 2006 under Rafa Benítez.
What’s next?
Palace travel to Burnley next in the Premier League, a side they currently trail by three points.
Liverpool face Brighton but first host Serie A outfit Napoli in the Champions League in midweek.
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