Liverpool staged a dramatic comeback to clinch a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, marking their return to winning ways against the Eagles after last season’s drawn encounters.
The Reds dominated possession early on, but Roy Hodgson’s resilient side restricted them to few chances, with Kostas Tsimikas’s speculative attempt and Ryan Gravenberch’s shot blocked by Odsonne Édouard. Palace’s Joel Ward exemplified their early determination, thwarting Mohamed Salah and denying Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected cross.
Despite Palace’s defensive prowess, Alisson Becker was eventually called into action, denying Jefferson Lerma’s first-time effort. The Eagles’ attacking intent was evident, with a penalty decision overturned by VAR and defensive heroics from Chris Richards and Will Hughes denying Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai before halftime.
Both sides made changes at halftime, and Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta earned and converted a penalty, giving Palace a well-deserved lead and igniting celebrations at Selhurst Park. However, the game shifted drastically when Jordan Ayew received a second yellow card for a challenge on Harvey Elliott after 75 minutes. Soon after, Mohamed Salah notched his 200th goal for Liverpool, leveling the score with a deflected strike.
A turning point arose as Sam Johnstone left the field due to injury, allowing debutant Remi Matthews to step in, but he couldn’t prevent Harvey Elliott’s decisive strike that propelled Liverpool to the top of the table. This victory extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run to nine matches, while Crystal Palace suffered bitter disappointment, securing just one point from their last six outings despite a late effort from Joachim Andersen that was thwarted.
