Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool: Van Dijk, Fabinho & Ox fire as Reds claim 3pts

Game is over and the final score is Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool. Here is the match report.

Match Report

VAR controversy sees Jurgen Klopp's men fend off a fightback from the Eagles with Fabinho scoring from the spot after first half goals by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Virgil Van Dijk

This is the turf, of course, where a title chase against Manchester City was famously extinguished eight years ago as Liverpool, three goals to the good, were undone by a devastating finale. The draw on that Spring evening in 2014 was a brutal object lesson in complacency.

The dynamics are different this time. City remain so far ahead in the title race that even in January that, as Jurgen Klopp put it before this game, every game is 'a final' for his team. But the victory was a reminder that the same perils old lurk, even with his chastening presence on the touchline. Palace could - and should – have found parity with Liverpool before a questionable late penalty took the game beyond them. 

Klopp can cite the three points, needless to say. Liverpool continue to accumulate them while Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane are away at the African Cup of Nations. City's lead at the top is reduced to nine points and it will be six if Liverpool win their game in hand. There might just be life in this title race yet. 

Liverpool were aided by a desperately anaemic first half performance by Palace which should have put the game almost out of sight and did damage to the reputation Patrick Vieira's team have built as a powerful, rapid side. Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain's goals were gift-wrapped

But that could take nothing away from Liverpool's first half e fluency. Andrew Robertson's impeccable delivery assisted in both goals, which were terrible from a Palace perspective.

Van Dijk peeled away undetected as the full-back's eighth minute corner from the left had been struck and would not have had an easier exercise on the training ground all week. 

Odsonne Eduard was in the general vicinity but the van Dijk's headed goal was in the net before anyone had computed the danger.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' KICK-OFF! Who can win this match?

5' Robertson's long shot over the bar

7' GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool (Van Dijk)

24' Febinho's shot over the bar

31' GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool (Oxlade-Chamberlain)

41' CLOSE! Mateta almost score for Crystal Palace

46' Olise's shot wide out

47' Alisson makes good save

52' Henderson's shot wide out

54' GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool (Édouard)

82' Alisson makes decent save

88' Penalty Goal! Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool (Fabinho)

Line-ups

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Schlupp, Hughes, Andersen, O. Édouard, J. Mateta, Guehi, C. Gallagher, M. Olise, T. Mitchell

Subs: Benteke, Martin Kelly, Clyne, Milivojevic, Jordan Ayew, J. Butland, Riedewald, E. Eze, N. Ferguson

Liverpool XI: Henderson, Matip, Alisson, Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Van Dijk, Fabinho, Robertson, Jota, Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones

Subs: Milner, Minamino, Joe Gomez, Tsimikas, Kelleher, Konate, Neco Williams, T. Morton, K. Gordon