Liverpool’s hopes of clinching the Premier League title suffered a significant setback as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace at Anfield.
Eberechi Eze capitalized on Tyrick Mitchell’s cut-back to complete a seamless Palace move early on, deservedly putting the visitors ahead at halftime.
Despite Jurgen Klopp’s side increasing the intensity in the second half, their finishing, reminiscent of recent encounters against Manchester United and Atalanta, proved inadequate as they endured their first league loss at home since October 2022.
The defeat leaves Liverpool trailing leaders Manchester City by two points and level on points with Arsenal before the Gunners’ match against Aston Villa later on Sunday.
Palace exhibited a lively start and secured the lead through Eze’s well-executed opener. Additionally, a slip from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk presented Jean-Philippe Mateta with a golden opportunity to extend their advantage, but Andy Robertson’s intervention on the goal line denied him.
Liverpool launched a spirited comeback, with Wataru Endo striking the crossbar and Dean Henderson thwarting Luis Diaz’s close-range effort. However, Palace’s counter-attacking threat persisted until halftime, albeit with limited opportunities.
In the second half, Henderson produced another exceptional save from Darwin Nunez, while Diogo Jota’s attempt was blocked by Nathaniel Clyne, leaving goalkeeper Dean Henderson stranded. Additionally, Curtis Jones squandered a clear chance to equalize.
Mateta had another significant opportunity to double Palace’s lead, but Alisson Becker executed a remarkable point-blank save.
Despite Liverpool’s relentless pursuit of an equalizer, they were unable to breach Palace’s defense, with Mohamed Salah’s late effort blocked by Mitchell in stoppage time. The defeat leaves Liverpool contemplating the ramifications with only six league games remaining in the season.
Nightmare week leaves Reds’ season on brink
Liverpool approached last Sunday’s match at Old Trafford leading the table by two points and being favored to win the Europa League.
However, a week later, both trophies seem to be slipping away from their reach.
A recurring theme across the three games in the past week has been Liverpool’s wastefulness in front of goal.
Against Manchester United and Atalanta, they generated numerous opportunities, and the trend continued against Crystal Palace, particularly in the second half.
Nevertheless, they once again lacked the clinical edge to convert these chances into goals.
Despite an underwhelming first-half performance, Liverpool did enough to secure victory, but they struggled to find the decisive touch.
With six league games remaining and a Europa League quarter-final second leg ahead, there is still hope, but Liverpool must be flawless from now on if they are to provide a fairy-tale ending to Klopp’s tenure.
However, even perfection may no longer guarantee success.