Liverpool were back at Anfield to face their bogey side, Crystal Palace. There was some good news for Liverpool fans as Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren were their starting centre backs, although it was once looking like Joe Gomez might have to take one of their places. This was also Liverpool youngest bench with 17-year-old Rhian Brewster, who was making his first appearance in the matchday squad, added alongside three other teenagers.
For Crystal Palace, they were without Sakho, which meant that Ward had to move over to centre back. Christian Benteke was making his first return to Anfield since his move away from Liverpool.
The game started and it was exactly what we’ve come to expect when Liverpool face one of the teams in the lower half of the table, with the Reds having 70% possession and Palace sitting very deep.
In the 20th minute Benteke brushed past a couple of Liverpool defenders using pure strength, but wasn’t able to steer it goalwards as his shots blazed wide of Mignolet’s post.
Two minutes later, Milivojevic shrugs Coutinho to the ground conceding a free kick. Coutinho stepped up and curled an absolute belter to beat Wayne Hennessey in goal for Palace. This goal made him only the 5th player in the Premier League this season to have scored from at least two direct free kicks.
Just before the break, Ward played a lovely ball down the channel to Cabaye who whipped in a cross and Benteke wouldn’t miss in front of the Kop.
After the break, Liverpool were showing the same exuberance as they showed in the first as Coutinho shot wide.
Just two minutes later, Coutinho worked his way through a couple of Palace defenders and was tripped in the penalty area. No penalty was given by the referee as Coutinho didn’t go to ground.
In the 73rd minute, Palace won a corner which was fizzed into the Liverpool box.The defenders were unable to deal with the cross and the ball found Benteke’s head, who comfortably put Crystal Palace in the lead.
Liverpool brought on three substitutes to salvage something out of the game. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alberto Moreno and Marko Grujic all came on. This final roll of the dice wasn’t good enough for Klopp, as Palace became the first team since Chelsea, to win three consecutive games in three seasons at Anfield.
