Mueez Ajao
– Liverpool cut Manchester City’s lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points with a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
– City could only draw 1-1 at Southampton on Saturday and Jurgen Klopp’s men took advantage, winning the first of two games in hand they have on the defending champions.
– Virgil van Dijk headed the visitors in front after eight minutes and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doubled the lead just after the half hour mark. Odsonne Edouard made it 2-1 just after the break but Fabinho’s late penalty made the game safe.
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– Heading into the match on a high after beating Arsenal to reach the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool had the game’s first chance when Jordan Henderson called Vicente Guaita into action. Shortly after, Van Dijk headed in a powerful effort from a corner that gave Guaita no chance.
– Klopp’s side won 7-0 on their last visit to Selhurst Park and Palace must have had a familiar sinking feeling as Liverpool dominated the early exchanges.
– Fabinho was the next to go close, firing over the bar from inside the area, before Liverpool made their dominance count with the second. Oxlade-Chamberlain was given far too much space in the area and smashed a left-footed effort home.
– Jean-Philippe Mateta came close for Palace just before the break but Alisson did well to divert the ball for a corner and Liverpool cleared.
– Conor Gallagher nodded wide from close range and Edouard’s backheel soon after was well saved by Alisson as Palace started the second period brightly.
– They got the goal their pressure deserbed on 55 minutes when Edouard tapped in after Mateta broke through and squared it, but despite facing late pressure, Liverpool held on.
– The game was then made safe when Fabinho converted from the spot after a lengthy VAR check ruled that Diogo Jota was felled in the area by Guaita.
– “Alisson has bailed us out a good few times in the past and today he had some moments. We haven’t got anyone else we’d want other than him,” Oxlade-Chamberlain told Sky Sports.
– “I think it was positive, especially the second half. We played well and were more aggressive and we scored,” Palace goalscorer Edouard told Sky Sports.
– “Yeah I scored but we lose so I can’t be happy for this. I think we need to keep working and try to win the next game.”
– The French forward declined to blame the referee and VAR for the late penalty that derailed the Palace comeback.
– “This is the decision of the referee, we can do nothing about this. We have to respect this and that’s it,” he said.
