Match report: Liverpool return to winning ways with victory at Crystal Palace

Goals either side of half-time by Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz, plus a late Alexander Isak strike, settled Sunday’s Premier League encounter in favour of the Reds, who conceded a consolation penalty from Eddie Nketiah in stoppage time.

Liverpool had gone into the weekend having lost back-to-back games for the first time under Andoni Iraola.

But victory in London means Iraola’s team head into the November international break on 18 points from 10 top-flight outings this season – a total that leaves them three points behind third-placed Manchester City and four adrift of Brighton & Hove Albion in second.

An Anfield date with Manchester United is next up in a fortnight.

Team

Iraola made five changes from the midweek defeat at Fenerbahce, with Ronald Araujo and Milos Kerkez returning in defence.

There were also starts for Cody Gakpo, Isak and Wirtz.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai (Nyoni, 69), Isak (Koumas, 90+1), Mac Allister, Gakpo (Ngumoha, 76), Barcola (Munoz, 69), Araujo (Gomez, 90+1).

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Tsimikas, McConnell.

First half

Mac Allister had a shot saved inside the opening 30 seconds amid a positive start from Liverpool, with the No.10 then glancing a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick into the side-netting in what would prove to be a warning to Palace.

However, despite the majority of the game taking place in the hosts’ half, it was they who so nearly went ahead with 18 minutes played as Daichi Kamada rattled the crossbar from close range.

Palace were growing into the contest, and Wirtz and Jorgen Strand Larsen traded attempts before the home team’s striker saw a goal ruled out for offside.

Bradley Barcola spurned Liverpool’s best chance so far by volleying Szoboszlai’s cross to the back post over the bar and the Reds would have been punished soon after, if not for a superb piece of goalkeeping by Alisson Becker, who palmed away a vicious volley by Kamada.

And, a couple of minutes later, the visitors took the lead when Mac Allister again met a Szoboszlai free-kick delivery but, after darting to the front post, this time managed to direct his header into the net.

Second half

The next goal was always going to be key to the outcome and, nine minutes after the restart, Liverpool scored it.

Barcola sped away down the right flank and delivered into the penalty area, where Wirtz had arrived to stroke home a calm, first-time finish.

From there, the result felt like a formality, with Palace only threatening sporadically.

The final 10 minutes would have had a very different feel had Alisson not yet again showcased his class to thwart the hosts, though.

This time it was Yeremy Pino who was denied, Alisson smothering his hopes of pulling a goal back before springing to his feet to save Quinten Timber’s follow-up shot, too.

Indeed, it was the Reds who finished the game the stronger, with Dean Henderson saving a Wirtz hit and then getting the better of Isak in a one-on-one.

But Palace’s ’keeper was beaten again in minute 89 as Isak clinically rounded off a rapid counter-attack, before the home team got their consolation via Nketiah’s penalty.