Two points in two games for Liverpool. This is not the kind of fuss and brawl that afflicts their next rivals, Manchester United, who face off at Old Trafford next Monday.
But it’s an early run of results that leaves Liverpool four points behind champions and arch-rivals Manchester City and for Jurgen Klopp that will be worrying enough.
Klopp’s side got exactly what they deserved here as they got something but not everything. They were the dominant team in the game, even playing with ten men for the final half hour after their new centre-forward Darwin Núñez was sent off. By the close of play not long before 10pm, they had registered 24 shots on Crystal Palace’s seven.
Jurgen Klopp was left frustrated as his Liverpool side drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Monday.
Wilfried Zaha gave the Eagles the lead in the first half with a superb, accurate finish after a good counter-attack from the visitors.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez (second from left) was sent off for a headbutt on Joachim Andersen on his home debut.
Luis Diaz’s goal saved Darwin Núñez’s blushes after the Uruguayan’s second-half sending-off for a headbutt.
MATCH DATA AND PLAYER SCORES
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 7.5, Phillips 6 (Gomez 63, 6), Van Dijk 6, Robertson 6.5 (Tsimikas 63, 6); Elliott 7 (Carvalho 79), Fabinho 6, Milner 6.5 (Henderson 63, 6); Fals 6.5, Núñez 5, Díaz 8.
GOALS: Díaz 61
BOOKED: Diaz, Tsimikas
Expelled: Núñez
MANAGER: Jurgen Klopp 6
CRYSTAL PALACE (5-4-1): Coloma 6; Clyne 6, Ward 7.5, Andersen 7, Guehi 6, Mitchell 6 (Richards 79); Eze 8 (Milivojevic 79), Doucoure 7 (Hughes 79), Schlupp 6 (Olise 88), Zaha 7; Ayew 6 (Edward 63, 6).
GOALS: Zaha 32
RESERVED: Andersen, Ward, Edouard, Guaita
MANAGER: Patrick Vieira 7.
REFEREE: Paul Tierney 6.
But this was not Liverpool at their best. Far.
They haven’t found their rhythm in the easy, natural way that City have and, with just one point separating the two clubs over the past four seasons, that’s something that may need to change quickly.
Here, on a night where they started brightly but faded, Liverpool needed a wonder goal soon after Luis Diaz’s red card for Núñez to cancel out Wilfried Zaha’s superb opener.
And despite the weight of Liverpool’s late pressure, it was Palace who came closest to winning this game with Zaha hitting the post with 12 minutes remaining.
So Liverpool head to Manchester next week without a win to their name and without their new signing.
Nunez had been impressive on his Fulham debut nine days before, but here he looked unsure and anxious.
And when he turned to poke his forehead into the chin of Palace defender Joachim Andersen in the 57th minute, it left referee Paul Tierney with no choice but to show him a red card.
A three-game ban will now follow.
Before the incident, there had been some conflict between the players. Nunez appeared to object to Andersen going down under a challenge in the first half.
But this was Núñez’s third appearance in English football, while Andersen has played more than 70. It’s no surprise, then, that the Dane has come out on top.
Núñez, 23, didn’t seem sure of himself from the start. He fired an early chance wide of the far post and when he hit the ball against the right just before the break, it was with the strangest of misses. For Núñez this was a night where steps were taken backwards and now he will wait a while to get it right.
Liverpool started with the pace they lacked at Fulham last week with James Milner wasting a good early chance
Uruguayan Núñez was guilty of missing chances before his sending off as Liverpool created several openings.
Liverpool will generally feel they should have won. Despite missing players due to injury, they started well and missed early chances.
James Milner fired home after Vicente Guaita’s weak punch in the first minute, while Harvey Elliott picked his spot well after selling dummies to two Palace players in the penalty area only for his shot to go wide hit Andersen’s outstretched heel.
At the beginning of the piece, these missed opportunities seemed like mere inconveniences.
Palace, playing with five at the back, were largely on the back foot and Mo Salah was denied once by the keeper after heading home from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s broken pass and then off his own radar flawed, with a side foot deflected when it looked easier. shoot the target
Trent Alexander-Arnold was impressive throughout and his delivery was much improved from last week’s game
Nunez tried to plead his innocence to referee Paul Tierney, but the referee had a perfect view of a blatant headbutt incident.
Wilfred Zaha gave Palace an unlikely first-half lead in one of his few forays forward in a stunning display from the back.
But, as time went on, Palace came into the game. Zaha was constantly looking to stretch a Liverpool back four with substitute Nat Phillips, who spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, while clever midfielder Eberechi Eze was impressive with his passing.
In fact, it was these two who combined to give Palace the lead from nothing in the 32nd minute.
Guaita’s clearance was well controlled by Eze and when he flicked a handball past Fabinho in midfield, Zaha was on his way.
Phillips’ inside ball was perfect and when Virgil van Dijk hesitated, perhaps waiting for his opponent to check back inside, Zaha fired a pinpoint shot past Alisson and off the post at the Kop End. From the goalie to the back of the net, the move had taken a fraction of more than ten seconds and changed the course of the game.
Eberechi Eze impressed down the left and combined well with Zaha up front for Palace’s goal in the first half.
Mohamed Salah was quiet all night and failed to affect the game in front of goal, despite his side dominating possession
Crystal Palace came closest to winning the game late on when Wilfred Zaha had a chance at the back post after clever play.
Liverpool tried to come back but it took time. Zaha ran again to be denied by Alisson and it was only when Núñez walked that the temperature inside Anfield rose significantly enough to provide Liverpool with some adrenaline.
Diaz has been superb all night, on and off the ball, and his equalizer four minutes after his team-mate’s red card was superb. A lateral run and a free kick from 20 yards, there was no keeper alive to save it.
Liverpool had time on their side in their pursuit of victory, but they were also a man down and ultimately that told. Salah and substitute Fabio Carvalho both fired wide, but it was Zaha who came closest to scoring as he stretched to deflect a Cheick Oumar Doucoure cross at the far post.
Defeat here for Liverpool would have been unthinkable, but at Old Trafford next week they will have no shortage of motivation to improve.
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