The Eagles became the first team in more than 15 years to win three consecutive games at Anfield as Sam Allardyce managed to win his first ever game at the iconic stadium in Liverpool this weekend. Jurgen Klopp’s men started the game in fine fashion as Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho put in a curling free-kick to give them an early lead. But Christian Benteke struck either side of the half-time whistle as the Reds managed to take nothing from this game. They are now just three points off Manchester United and just two off City, as they lost a chance to take a lead in qualification for the Champions League.
Here are the player ratings for Klopp’s men in this tie:
Simon Mignolet (6):
Could not do much to stop either goal and was generally reliable at the back for the Reds.
Nathaniel Clyne (5):
Slow and wasteful on more than one occasion as he failed to create enough on a day where he found a lot of space in the final third.
Joel Matip (6):
Did hardly anything wrong but could not help Liverpool from conceding a couple of goals from the big Belgian.
Dejan Lovren (5):
Should have done better in the build-up to the first goal but was generally up to the task against the Palace attackers.
James Milner (6):
Had little to do defensively except a superb block on Townsend and also created a couple of half-chances at the other end.
Lucas Leiva (5):
Did his job in the midfield as he kept Palace quiet. He cannot be held responsible for the defeat.
Emre Can (5):
Tried to push Liverpool forward right till the end but failed to convert a glorious opportunity in the first half that could have put the game to bed.
Georginio Wijnaldum (6):
Was smart with his passes and touches but failed to create enough for Liverpool to outscore their opponents on the night.
Roberto Firmino (5):
Was decent with his work at both ends of the field but is at fault for Benteke’s second which he should have cleared at the near post.
Divock Origi (5):
Acted as the target man on the night but did not provide enough of a goal threat for Liverpool to take all three points from this tie.
Philippe Coutinho (8):
The real star on the night for Liverpool, Coutinho opened the scoring and came close to finding the back of the net on more than a couple of occasions as he single-handedly took Liverpool close to Palace’s goal.
Subs:
Trent Alexander Arnold (5):
Came in to add some width to the squad but was too late to have a real impact on the game.
Alberto Moreno (6):
Added some spice and creativity on the left flank late in the game but he failed to create the chance that could have put Liverpool on level terms.
Marko Grujic (6):
A decent outing for the youngster who was not afraid to put himself about at either end. Picked up a booking for a needless foul.