We are back to the weekend where good games are at good times!
This weekend kicks off with Liverpool's trip to Selhaurst Park to face Crystal Palace. Later tonight we also have Arsenal's trip to Villa Park where they face a confident Aston Villa at their home who just beat Man city convincingly midweek. That game is going to be a banger!
With Joel Matip out for the season, we'll see more of J. Quansah in defence beside Virgil Van Dijk which is not a bad thing. Joel Matip's time at the club was almost coming to an end and we needed to develop Quansah.
However, the injury to Alexis Mc Allister is a massive blow for liverpool. This however gives Wataru Endo a more prominent role at the number 6 position and settle in to the premier league. I am however not yet convince how well the midfield of Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch is going to gel together. And away to crystal palace is no joke of a game. We can not afford to drop points, especially now that we are quite well poised in the premier league table.
Up front we start with Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz - no surprises there. Will Salah get his 200th goal in a Liverpool shirt today? We'll find out soon enough!
Start!
Controlled start from Liverpool. Nothing explosive yet, nothing too rash either.
11 minutes in, and I don't think it is a very fun game to watch if you are a neutral.
Liverpool almost breaks on the counter after the Crystal Palace corner.
Palace maintaining a very very very compact defensive shape here. You can feel it's gonna take a banger for liverpool to score today, or a horrible mistake from the Palace defence.
AND THAT IS WHY YOU NEED ALLISON! What a save! Out of nowhere Palace breaks on the counter and Allison had to pull that save out of the top shelf!
Penalty for Palace! Endo dispossessed again at a dangerous one and Van dijk had to pull the foul.
Okay the VAR calls the referee for checking a possible foun on Endo first.
NO PENALTY!
Big relief for liverpool. But Wataru Endo, come on man! Liverpool are really Missing Mc Allister here. Endo is not yet ready to be a starter in difficult games like this.
Endo is getting dispossessed like twice every 3 minutes, what the fuck man!
Liverpool has had 243 completed passes in the game so far and Palace had ONLY 49. Yet, Palace had the best chances of the game so far!
Chance for Salah, but man, Palace are defending with 10 man in the box! What can you do!
I think there needs to be a change at half time. Wataru Endo needs to come off and either Curtis Jones replaces him or Trent Alexander Arnold slots in there with Joe gomez coming on to plat right back. But Endo just shouldn't see this game out. He is having a stinker, a nightmare.
Half Time, 0-0!
Hmm seems like Klopp and I were in the same page then. Endo subbed off, Joe Gomez comes on.
Penalty for Palace, again! And this time it will stand!
Palace 1-0 Liverpool!
Very very difficult now for liverpool to come back from here. For the 7th time this season, Liverpool find themselves 1 goal down away from home.
Harvey Eliott and Curtis Jones comes on for Szoboszlai and Nunez.
Palace's number 9 is sent off, what happened there? It's a second yellow and off he goes.
And Liverpool are level through Mo Salah's 200th goal! However, not sure if this will stay as Salah's goal as it took a huge deflection off the Palace defender. Liverpool and Salah won't care much though. Score is level with over 10 minutes of normal time to go.
And what a strike from Harvey Eliott at the first minute of added time to give Liverpool the lead! My oh My! Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool!
Oh wow! Alison come up big again at the last seconds of added time. Palace have a corner.
And that should be it!
Liverpool find a way to win on a very difficult day!