Liverpool maintained their strong start to the season by securing a sixth consecutive win across all competitions with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, though it came at a cost as goalkeeper Alisson was forced off with an injury.
The Premier League frontrunners earned the three points through Diogo Jota’s first-half goal, as the Portuguese forward capitalized on poor defending to convert a cross from Cody Gakpo.
As Liverpool edged closer to sealing the win, Alisson appeared to suffer a hamstring injury while making a clearance. He was replaced by debutant Vitezslav Jaros for the final 10 minutes, with the Czech goalkeeper making a key save to preserve the victory.
Liverpool have lost just once in the Premier League this season, while Crystal Palace remain winless, suffering their fourth defeat in seven games.
Palace had an early strike from Eddie Nketiah ruled out for offside, and Ismaila Sarr tested Alisson with a strong effort just before halftime.
Although Liverpool couldn’t find a second goal, Palace remained in contention for a result despite being second-best for much of the match. Alisson was called upon twice in the second half, denying Nketiah after a mistake in possession and later stopping a shot from Eberechi Eze.
Despite Alisson’s injury, Palace failed to seriously challenge Jaros before the final whistle, with Eze’s late effort going straight to the young goalkeeper.
The win moves Liverpool four points clear at the top of the table ahead of the afternoon fixtures, while Palace stay in the bottom three with just three points from seven games.
Liverpool leggy but get the job done
The post-Jurgen Klopp era couldn’t be going any better for Liverpool, as Arne Slot continues his impressive start as manager with another victory.
This win extended Liverpool’s flawless away record in the league, marking the fourth consecutive triumph on the road this season—only the third time in the club’s history they have achieved this feat.
Slot has also joined an exclusive group, becoming just the fourth Premier League manager to win his first four away games. He follows in the footsteps of Felipe Scolari (eight wins), John Gregory (five wins), and Bobby Gould (four wins).
Despite a quick turnaround from their midweek Champions League match, Slot downplayed any concerns about fatigue for the early 12:30 BST kick-off. However, it was evident that Liverpool’s second-half performance was impacted by tired legs.
Similar to their 2-0 victory over Bologna earlier in the week, they had to rely on some fortune as Crystal Palace pushed for an equalizer, but they managed to hold on and extend their winning streak.
The major concern from the game was Alisson’s injury. The Brazilian goalkeeper appeared frustrated after injuring himself while making a clearance, though he was able to walk off without assistance. This could be a potential setback for Slot’s side as they continue their strong campaign.
Second-half encouragement for Palace
It has been a disappointing start to the season for Crystal Palace as they find themselves in the relegation zone and still searching for their first league win of the season.
But while they were a distant second best in the first half they can draw encouragement from their performance after the break.
The Eagles were far braver in attack, particularly after the introduction of Jean-Philippe Mateta, and only a couple of good saves by Alisson before he went off denied them a point they perhaps deserved for their second-half display.
Boss Oliver Glasner felt afterwards his side were also denied a penalty, when Virgil van Dijk pulled back Marc Guehi inside the box.
“I didn’t see it during the game and for me it was a clear foul,” he said. “VAR had to intervene but they didn’t.”
Glasner now has the international break to build on that before tough-looking fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Aston Villa.