Andoni Iraola found the answer to his biggest Liverpool headache as the Reds cruised to a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak sealed a routine victory for the visitors.
Liverpool were not at their best in the first half, with Palace failing to find the quality they desperately needed in the final third, but Mac Allister was the difference maker before the break when he headed in Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick. The game was then taken away from the hosts by Wirtz's composed finish in the 54th minute.
Palace miss chances before Mac Allister strikes
It was the Eagles who should have taken the lead after 20 minutes when Yeremy Pino's left-footed shot flashed past Alisson but bounced away off the crossbar. Palace continued to look the more likely team to break the deadlock, but Mac Allister's knack of finding room in the box with his head prevailed again as the Argentine headed in Szoboszlai's cross just five minutes before half-time.
It was an opening 45 minutes that Palace will wonder how they are behind after forcing Alisson into a couple of smart saves while also having a goal ruled out for offside before Mac Allister's goal. Jorgen Strand Larsen thought he had put the Eagles in front, but he was in an offside position when the ball fell kindly to his foot just a couple of yards away from goal.
Referee decision angers home fans
The half-time whistle brought boos from the Palace fans, but it was not for underfire manager Pierre Sage and his players, instead for the referee. The aggrieved home support continued to sing '1-0 to the referee' in anger at the decision to award the free-kick which led to the goal as the players returned to the dressing room.
Palace returned from the break on the front foot but, much like the first half, lacked the quality to score. The same could not be said for the Reds as the link up between Bradley Barcola and Wirtz doubled the lead.
Wirtz and Isak seal the win
Two of the three £100 million-plus forwards gave Palace a mountain to climb as Barcola broke away down the right with his pace before pulling the ball back low across the box where Wirtz was arriving. The German made no mistake as he calmly rolled the ball into the bottom corner at the near post for his first Premier League goal since a 3-1 win over the Eagles at Anfield in May.
One of Iraola's toughest decisions is how to get the best out of Barcola, Wirtz and Isak all in the same side, but that second goal proved how it can work, with the Sweden striker's play dragging the Palace defence deeper for Wirtz to arrive late on the scene.
Liverpool saw little threat to their two-goal advantage bar a wasted one-on-one by Pino as he was quickly smothered by Alisson, and Isak was able to add a third in the 89th minute after a quiet afternoon until that point. Palace were awarded a controversial penalty deep into added time when Milos Kerkez jumped to head the ball but was late and caught Dario Osorio instead, which Eddie Nketiah converted with the last kick of the game.
The Reds' win sees them climb into the top four when the full-time whistle went at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland beating Chelsea.
