Liverpool moved into the Premier League top four with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, leaving their opponents bottom of the table and heaping pressure on manager Pierre Sage.
Goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak sealed the victory, with substitute Eddie Nketiah scoring a late consolation from the penalty spot for Palace. The result means Liverpool now sit fourth, while Palace have the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 24 goals.
Ruthless Liverpool Show Their Class
Liverpool were far from their flowing best but were ruthless, clinical and determined when it mattered. The patience shown in Alexander Isak has paid off, with the striker now looking unstoppable after his eighth goal in all competitions sealed the win.
The Liverpool faithful continue to sing the name of Bradley Barcola, the £123million signing who has yet to score in the Premier League since his summer arrival. Big-money talent like Barcola, Isak and Wirtz take time to settle, and this was a case of getting the job done rather than a spectacle.
Alisson the Hero for the Reds
It seems bizarre to make the keeper from the winning side the best player on the pitch, but Liverpool would have lost without Alisson Becker. The Brazil keeper still probably does not get the credit he deserves.
Liverpool's goal lived a charmed life early on as Yeremy Pino crashed a shot against the bar. Jorgen Strand Larsen had the ball in the Liverpool net but was clearly offside, while Daichi Kamada's powerful volley forced another brilliant save from Alisson, who also denied Adam Wharton. At the other end, Liverpool had plenty of possession but their finishing was wayward, with Barcola skying over with a volley which cleared the stand and the crossbar.
Controversial Opener Breaks the Deadlock
Liverpool finally got their breakthrough after a moment of controversy. Referee Tony Harrington gave a free kick when it looked as if Cody Gakpo had just run into Jefferson Lerma. Dominik Szoboszlai whipped in a near-post free kick and Mac Allister glanced home past Palace keeper Dean Henderson. The Palace fans vented their anger at the officials, and chairman Steve Parish had his head in his hands in the directors' box.
Once Liverpool got themselves in front, there was only ever going to be one outcome. Liverpool's second came nine minutes after the restart when Barcola's low cross evaded the Palace defence and Wirtz swept home from inside the box. Wirtz then set up Isak to score in the 89th minute.
Palace's Hopes Rest on Nketiah Consolation
There was still time for Palace to get a consolation. Milos Kerkez jumped into Dario Osorio and it was a clear penalty, which Nketiah converted. The improved performance may not be enough to save Sage, who faces an anxious wait during the international break, known as the sacking window.
Palace showed real heart this time and deserved more than just Nketiah's injury-time consolation, but the question for Parish is whether an improved performance is enough or if they should press the panic button and get on the phone to Sean Dyche in the next fortnight.
