Liverpool's hopes for the title take a significant hit as Palace secures victory with Eberechi Eze's decisive goal.

April 14, 2024

Liverpool's hopes for the title take a significant hit as Palace secures victory with Eberechi Eze's decisive goal.

The aftermath of the final whistle illustrated a week of immense setback for Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp exchanged congratulations with Oliver Glasner on Crystal Palace's impactful victory, felt throughout the league table. Klopp, visibly disheartened, sighed deeply and shook his head in frustration. Andy Robertson, overwhelmed, lowered himself to the ground in contemplation. Disheartened home supporters left the stadium in solemn silence. In a title race defined by razor-thin margins, Liverpool finds themselves faltering at the outset.

Liverpool endured another setback at Anfield, following their defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals, as Eberechi Eze's early goal secured a victory for Palace and bolstered their Premier League survival hopes. This defeat, handed by the same club that marked Klopp's first Premier League loss, potentially dashes Liverpool's title aspirations. Notably, this marks Liverpool's first consecutive home losses since March 2021, during the Covid-impacted season, and their first in front of supporters since January 2017. Throughout the match, Liverpool appeared sloppy and wasteful, squandering opportunities in both halves, despite being a team competing on multiple fronts just a month ago.

The Palace manager expressed delight in his team's performance, particularly their confident display in the first half and their resilient defense in the second. Liverpool found themselves frustrated by the visitors' dual approach, showcasing two contrasting faces throughout the game.

Before kick-off, Anfield paid a poignant tribute to the 97 Liverpool supporters tragically killed at Hillsborough. The stadium echoed with a stirring rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" on the eve of the disaster's 35th anniversary, followed by a minute of silence in honor of the victims, with the Kop adorned with a "97" mosaic.

Despite Klopp's promise of a strong response following the Europa League disappointment, Liverpool replicated their lackluster performance in a disappointing first half. They exhibited lethargy, carelessness in possession, and a lack of defensive focus, with even Alisson, in his first start since February due to injury, succumbing to the malaise. Palace capitalized on these errors, deservedly leading at halftime, a lead that could have been more significant.

Palace's performance, buoyed by the exceptional talents of Michael Olise and Eze, exploited Liverpool's vulnerabilities, particularly down their left flank against Bradley and Konaté. A fluid passing sequence involving Wharton, Olise, and Mitchell set up Eze's precise finish, with Liverpool's defense slow to react, leaving Eze unmarked.

This marked the fourth occasion in the last five Premier League home games where Liverpool conceded first. While Liverpool have shown resilience from losing positions throughout the season, earning an impressive 27 points, they couldn't mount a comeback from this familiar scenario.

Palace came close to doubling their lead before Liverpool regrouped. A defensive slip from Van Dijk allowed Mateta to capitalize on Eze's pass and break through on goal. Despite lofting his shot over Alisson, it lacked power, giving Robertson the opportunity to make a brilliant goal-line clearance.

Robertson stood out as the only Liverpool player performing at the required level in the first half. He nearly scored himself with a corner that struck the Palace crossbar. Additionally, his excellent delivery set up Luis Díaz for an acrobatic volley, which was saved brilliantly by Dean Henderson.

Once again, Liverpool's lackluster performance led Klopp to make changes at halftime, with Dominik Szoboszlai replacing the fatigued Endo, injecting much-needed energy and accuracy into the team. This alteration sparked a significant improvement from Liverpool, but their woeful finishing only added to the frustration at Anfield.

An opportunity arose for Darwin Núñez when Van Dijk's header from a Robertson corner fell to him. Despite connecting powerfully, his shot from close range struck Henderson and deflected over. Alisson replicated Henderson's heroics, making a similar save from Mateta after Andersen's header found Eze's free-kick, only for the striker to turn his effort over with the goal gaping from just two yards out.

Liverpool's woes extended to astonishing misses, with several notable instances. Diogo Jota appeared poised to score as Szoboszlai set him up, drawing Henderson out of position before passing to the usually clinical forward. However, Jota's first-time shot struck former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne and rebounded wide, much to everyone's disbelief.

Curtis Jones was guilty of the most glaring miss of the match, as he found himself through on goal after a pass from the impactful Cody Gakpo. Despite having a clear sight of goal with Henderson advancing, Jones poked his shot badly wide. Even an impressive block from Mitchell denied Mohamed Salah a close-range effort in the first minute of seven added for stoppage time. However, that was the extent of Liverpool's offerings as they chased the title at the end of a challenging week, with dreams of further silverware fading away.

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