Liverpool strengthened their grip on this Premier League fixture at Anfield with a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace, though the final margin only truly felt secure deep into stoppage time. Goals from Alexander Isak in the 35th minute and Andrew Robertson in the 40th gave the hosts command before the break, but Palace made them work in the second half after Daniel Muñoz struck in the 71st minute. Florian Wirtz finally settled it at 90’+6′ to ensure the points stayed on Merseyside.
With attention across the league fixed on a busy Saturday slate, Liverpool made sure their own business was handled in front of home support. The first half had a competitive edge to it, with Palace showing enough threat to suggest this would not be a straightforward afternoon. Daniel Muñoz and Dean Henderson both went into the book for the visitors before Liverpool found their breakthrough, a sign of the pressure beginning to build around the Palace penalty area.
The opener arrived in the 35th minute when Alexander Isak converted to put Liverpool 1-0 ahead. It was the kind of moment Anfield had been waiting for, and it shifted the tempo of the match decisively. Five minutes later, Liverpool struck again. Andrew Robertson made it 2-0 in the 40th minute, a major blow to Palace and a reward for Liverpool’s growing control down the flanks and in the final third.
At half-time, Liverpool’s 2-0 lead looked deserved, but the underlying numbers hinted that Palace were still in the contest. The visitors would finish with 14 shots and 7 efforts on target, compared with Liverpool’s 9 shots and 3 on target, and they also won 8 corners to Liverpool’s 5. Even with Liverpool edging possession at 53.1 percent, Palace remained dangerous enough to make the second period uncomfortable.
That discomfort arrived in the 71st minute when Muñoz pulled one back for Crystal Palace to cut the deficit to 2-1. From that point, the fixture opened up. Palace sensed a route back and asked real questions, while Liverpool had to show composure without the ball and discipline in key defensive moments. The home side were not able to coast through the closing stages, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s booking late on reflected the tension of a match that still had jeopardy in it.
To Palace’s credit, they made a proper fight of the second half and forced Liverpool to earn the result. Their attacking output deserved more than a quiet exit, and there were stretches when another goal for the visitors looked entirely possible. But Liverpool were more clinical in the decisive moments, and that proved the difference.
The insurance goal finally came at 90’+6′, when Florian Wirtz scored to restore Liverpool’s two-goal cushion and remove any lingering doubt. It was a late flourish that gave the scoreline a more comfortable look than much of the second half suggested, and it capped a valuable afternoon in a league round where every result is being watched closely.
In the end, Liverpool’s cutting edge before the interval and Wirtz’s stoppage-time finish were enough to overcome a lively Crystal Palace side. Isak’s goal in the 35th minute set them on their way, Robertson’s strike in the 40th minute gave them breathing room, Muñoz’s 71st-minute finish created late intrigue, and Wirtz had the last word at 90’+6′. For Liverpool, it was a win built on timely finishing and just enough control when Palace threatened to turn the fixture into something far more dramatic.
