Liverpool moved up to fourth in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. Goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak set up a relatively comfortable victory for the Reds before Eddie Nketiah scored a consolation in stoppage time.
Match Review and Reaction
The ECHO was south of the river to review proceedings with their usual match-day bundle, covering the match verdict, player ratings, post-game analysis and on-the-whistle reaction. There was also a live blog and Iraola's assessment to read. Colleagues from the national media were also on hand to analyse events.
National Media Analysis
The Mirror's chief football writer John Cross writes: "This season will probably be more about securing Champions League football rather than a full-on title race. But after results like this, you can see why Liverpool fans have bought into Andoni Iraola’s exciting vision because they were ruthless, clinical and determined as they climbed up into the top four."
Cross added: "Their patience with Alexander Isak has reaped rewards because the Liverpool striker now looks unstoppable after his eighth goal in all competitions sealed the win. The Liverpool faithful are also still enthusiastically singing Bradley Barcola’s name even though the £123million signing has yet to score in the Premier League since his summer arrival."
The Daily Mail's Lewis Steele reflects: "By this time of the season, spirited performances mean little if you don't have the results to go with it. Pierre Sage, who was sacked at Lyon two years ago, knows as much as anyone that this is a results-based business. And he simply has not had enough results. Despite having Liverpool on the ropes at times here, Crystal Palace failed to land a knockout blow and that could be that for their under-fire manager, who looked like a dead man walking when he trudged off the pitch at full-time with a face like thunder."
Steele also noted: "Liverpool, meanwhile, had the width of the crossbar and a throwback performance from goalkeeper Alisson to thank. In contrast to Sage, Andoni Iraola's side showed grit and determination to win when far from their best. This victory would not have been possible, though, without Alisson, now 34 and in the final year of his deal. For all the attacking talent at Iraola's disposal, the Basque will be delighted at his team's defensive determination when under the kosh here as Palace had 10 first-half shots."
More Reactions and ECHO Verdict
On The Times' pages, Alyson Rudd writes: "In truth Liverpool glided and were occasionally vulnerable at the back but never really looked in danger of losing control of the game. It was exactly the sort of contest Andoni Iraola’s players needed. Victory meant that Liverpool have garnered more points (13) away from home in the Premier League this season than any other club."
Thom Gibb writes in The Telegraph: "Major signings need to lay down a marker when arriving at Liverpool. Barcola has his hat-trick at LASK in the Champions League, but we are still waiting for a stirring big-match-defining contribution from him since his summer arrival. Arguably the same could be said for Wirtz, nearly 18 months since he joined. Neither left Selhurst Park looking like the world-beaters they did occasionally for their previous clubs. Still, one misfiring attacker creating a goal for another represents progress and all great partnerships must start somewhere."
And the ECHO's verdict reads: "Ten games into the Andoni Iraola experience at Liverpool and there has been a little something for everyone. For those whose glasses are half full, a 3-1 win here at Crystal Palace moves the Reds up to fourth, on the heels of a Manchester City side who have lost three in a row and are clearly in flux over the Premier League's guilty verdict. Further cause for encouragement is seeing a defensively solid Reds side in the league, who have only been beaten by champions Arsenal and runners-up City, and both in somewhat controversial circumstances. There is a character about Liverpool that simply wasn't there last season. Away games against Bournemouth, Brentford and Palace last time out, for example, yielded zero points. This season, Iraola has won them all."
