‘Jekyll and Hyde’ Liverpool rely on Alisson
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s win over Crystal Palace
Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace could quite easily have been a defeat for Liverpool. It would not have been the first time that a trip to south London has tripped them up in the push for the Premier League title.
The opening 35 minutes were all Liverpool, and they capitalised on that domination with two goals – although the first of two contentious refereeing decisions allowed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second to stand.
But Palace should have been level before the break and ahead not soon after as Liverpool began to lag behind. One player who did not see his levels drop, however, was Alisson, who made a number of remarkable saves to keep Palace at bay.
Odsonne Edouard, Jean Philippe-Mateta and Michael Olise all tested the Brazilian either side of half-time, but he stood up to the test. At times, you thought it could have been a reverse 7-0 win – the scoreline Liverpool won by on their last trip to Selhurst Park – for Crystal Palace had it not been for the goalkeeper.
After a lacklustre performance from Chelsea at Brighton in midweek, Liverpool are another side who dropped off during Sunday’s game. But they have barely had a chance to stop – they have played six games in January, including a draw against Chelsea and a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
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Jurgen Klopp reflects on a mixed Liverpool performance but is proud of his team for getting the three points against Crystal Palace
Giving his assessment, Klopp told Sky Sports: “It was a bit Jekyll and Hyde football today. You could see how good we can be. We were incredible in the first 35 minutes. Then after an intense week – away at Arsenal – I don’t have any real explanation but the intensity might be one.
