Liverpool walked out with all three points vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday after an early goal from Diogo Jota put the Reds 1-0 up at Selhurst Park. This result will see the Reds head into the international break at the summit of the Premier League, foreshadowing their fixture against Chelsea.
Arne Slot’s Rotations
After playing his first choice XI vs. Bologna midweek in the Champions League, Arne Slot was forced to rotate Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai & Luis Diaz for counterparts Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo stepping in for their rested teammates.
Liverpool’s Slow Start
After a subdued start to the game from Liverpool that saw them concede in the first minute via a strike from new Crystal Palace signing Eddie Nketiah (which was later ruled offside), Liverpool slowly grew into the game and held on to the ball, drawing in the aggressive Palace press before scoring a beautifully manufactured goal fired home by Diogo Jota.
Poor Second Half Display
After a largely dominant first half with control being the main theme for Liverpool, it all crumbled when Mac Allister was substituted at halftime amidst injury concerns. Palace slowly found their way back into the game, and Alisson Becker was forced to come off with a hamstring injury - the second time this has happened in the last two weeks.
Slot’s Sly Personnel Changes
Alisson was replaced by Czech Liverpool academy graduate Vitezslav Jaros who had to make some important saves. Andy Robertson and Wataru Endo, both seasoned veterans, were brought on late into the game to help this relatively young Liverpool side weather the waves of Crystal Palace’s attacks. After a nervy final few minutes, Liverpool fans all over the world were relieved to hear the fulltime whistle blow.
End Result
Liverpool are a point clear of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table headed into the October international break. Arne Slot’s Reds will need to survive a very action-packed October & November without their No. 1 Alisson to maintain their title aspirations, which provides a chance for Caoihmin Kelleher to step up between the posts.
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