Liverpool had a smooth start to their early kickoff fixture of this game week.
Jota nailed the first goal in the 8th minute of the game. That goal was a sneaky one. Jota was sharp upfront and literally stole the ball from Crystal Palace's defender to get a goal for Liverpool.
The first half of the game was a dominant one for Liverpool. They were cool-headed and did a good job of controlling the tempo of the game. Liverpool also had a couple goalscoring opportunities, but couldn't get an additional goal.
Crystal Palace also had a very good goalscoring opportunity in the final minute of the game. They were unlucky to be against a team that has Alisson in goal. Alisson is the big man and he pulled a very important save to keep Liverpool ahead.
This first half was a joy to watch for Liverpool. Their opponent played with 3 at the back, and that formation made it so much easier for Liverpool to penetrate their backline.
Second Half...
Liverpool started the second half with a substitution to bring in Szobo as a replacement for Macca. That's not something that happens often even if a player didn't perform well in the first half. However, this is the second time we have seen it from Arne Slot.
That early substitution is likely due to injury concerns, but I will be looking forward to official info about that from the Coach after the game.
The Ref has been ludicrous in this game, and he even managed to get the cool-headed Liverpool manager to lose his shit and swear at the touchline. This is the very first time I've seen Slot get animated and express his displeasure in such a manner.
Crystal Palace had three massive goalscoring opportunities in the first 25 minutes of the second half, but Alisson stepped in to save each of those and keep Liverpool ahead.
At this point, Liverpool with just a goal lead doesn't seem like a comfortable position. They needed to double that lead.
Liverpool did their second substitution in the 71st minute to bring in Diaz as a substitute for Salah. Some were whining about that because they believed Salah was never to be taken off in a game.
Weird!
I, for one, am fully in support of Slot's decision.
The worst thing that could happen to Liverpool is the fact that Alisson just picked up an injury in the 77th minute of this game. It's happening at a time when Liverpool has a long list of tough fixtures. So, I'm looking forward to how the next couple of games will be.
This came as a good opportunity for Crystal Palace to try and get something out of the game. They pressed hard and got some goalscoring opportunities. However, their execution made things too easy for the new goalkeeper.
I can't complain though.
The win Liverpool got is all that matters.
Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop or Comma.
Thumbnail Image is taken from Unsplash