In typical Liverpool fashion, the three points were not easily taken back to Merseyside but the fact that they were is all that matters.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side made the trip to Selhurst Park knowing that Man City had dropped points the night before, adding extra motivation to at least peg back some of the deficit.
When the chance is there, it has to be taken.
It didn’t prove quite as straightforward as first thought, but the Reds did just that – first thanks to a bullet of a header from Virgil van Dijk.
You don’t save those!
It was then Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain‘s time to get in on the act as a thrilling start to the game saw Liverpool establish the buffer their performance deserved.
And Andy Robertson played a key part too, supplying the balls for both goalscorers.
It was then that things got tricky as Liverpool invited Palace to join the fray having all but held the ball ransom for the first 35 minutes.
And Alisson was the one holding the team together with one world-class stop after another, it could’ve easily been level at the break if not for him.
Edouard would eventually breach his walls but he’d been left out to dry, although Alisson did ensure it was the first and the last for the hosts.
With the No. 1 fortifying the fortress, Trent Alexander-Arnold then pulled out a stunning long ball to Diogo Jota who was deemed to have been impeded. Penalty Liverpool.
With James Milner standing on the touchline waiting to enter the game, Fabinho stepped up and cooly scored his fourth goal of the month!
The relief was palpable.
And the full-time whistle drew a close to a nervy game but all that mattered, in the end, was that Liverpool left Selhurst Park with three points and a celebratory Klopp first pump!
With Alisson shown the love, the Reds were sent on their way by the travelling Kop with now 14 days to wait until Klopp’s side are back in action.
It’s Cardiff that awaits in the FA Cup following the international break, by which time Liverpool should have Thiago, Harvey Elliott and potentially all three of their AFCON trio.
