Liverpool made their chances count at Selhurst Park on Sunday, November 8, beating Crystal Palace 3-1 in a Premier League fixture that offered plenty of attacking endeavour from both sides.
Alexis Mac Allister headed the visitors ahead in the 40th minute, Florian Wirtz doubled their advantage in the 54th and Alexander Isak added a third in the 89th. Substitute Eddie Nketiah converted a penalty five minutes into second-half stoppage time, but it was only a consolation for Palace.
Mac Allister breaks the deadlock
The breakthrough arrived five minutes before the interval, when Mac Allister’s 40th-minute header gave Liverpool a lead they would never relinquish. It was the only goal of the opening half and ensured the visitors went into the dressing room with the advantage.
Palace’s overall numbers would eventually underline their contribution to the contest: 53.2% possession, 19 attempts and seven shots on target. Yet Liverpool found the greater reward in front of goal, turning a closely contested attacking picture into a clear margin on the scoreboard.
Wirtz adds breathing space before Isak settles it
Wirtz struck in the 54th minute to make it 2-0, leaving Palace with a much steeper task less than 10 minutes after the restart. Liverpool finished with 20 attempts and eight on target, narrowly ahead of their hosts in both categories, while also winning seven corners to Palace’s four.
The closing stages brought a cluster of bookings. Víctor Muñoz and Jefferson Lerma were cautioned in the 82nd minute, followed by Mac Allister a minute later. Liverpool committed 18 fouls to Palace’s 10 across the afternoon.
Any lingering uncertainty over the outcome disappeared when Isak made it 3-0 in the 89th minute. Nketiah’s penalty in the 90+5th minute denied Liverpool a clean sheet, but came too late to threaten their three points.
Finishing makes the difference
For Palace, the frustration lay in producing a substantial attacking return without finding the net until stoppage time. Their possession and shooting figures reflected genuine involvement in the contest, but Liverpool’s three different goalscorers supplied the decisive difference.
Palace next face Coventry City on Saturday, November 21, with kick-off scheduled for 7:00 AM PST. Liverpool turn their attention to Manchester United on Sunday, November 22, at 8:30 AM PST, carrying an away victory into that eagerly anticipated fixture.
