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Adam Davy
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Crystal Palace vs Liverpool, Premier League

Roy Hodgson welcomed his former employers to Selhurst Park as Liverpool continued to try and overtake Man United into second spot in the Premier League.
11.26am, 31 Mar 2018
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31 Mar 2018 11:32AM

Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail aaron@the42.ie, tweet @the42_ie, or leave a comment below.

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Kick-off for this afternoon’s game at Selhurst Park is at 12.30pm.

31 Mar 2018 11:32AM

Let’s get started with the team news.

31 Mar 2018 11:38AM

So, today’s teams are:

Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Wan Bissaka, Kelly, Sakho, Van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojevic, Cabaye, Townsend, Benteke, Zaha.

Subs: Loftus-Cheek, Lee, Cavalieri, Souare, Fosu-Mensah, Delaney, Riedewald.

Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Subs: Clyne, Lovren, Moreno, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mignolet, Ings.

31 Mar 2018 11:46AM

With Manchester City to come in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, the next two weeks is absolutely pivotal for Jurgen Klopp’s side on two fronts.

31 Mar 2018 11:59AM

So, how do we see this one going? Let us know below.


Poll Results:

Liverpool win (228)
Crystal Palace win (33)
Draw (22)

31 Mar 2018 12:02PM

31 Mar 2018 12:19PM

Almost set now, with a little over 10 minutes to go before kick-off. Selhurst Park has not been a happy hunting ground for Liverpool in years of late, but today could prove an exception against a Palace side which has just one win in their last eight Premier League games.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Premier League - Selhurst Park Adam Davy Adam Davy

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Premier League - Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Premier League - Selhurst Park

31 Mar 2018 1'

KICK-OFF: We’re underway at Selhurst Park!

31 Mar 2018 3'

Christian Benteke with a lovely touch in the middle of the park there. It hardly led to anything of note, but it highlighted just how deep the Belgian striker has been forced to drop to get possession of the ball early doors.

He is one of four ex-Liverpool players in the Palace squad today, alongside Martin Kelly, Mamadou Sakho and (if only briefly) Diego Cavalieri.

31 Mar 2018 7'

Liverpool toying with their opponents so far, but Palace are really feeding off the energy from the crowd this afternoon. They haven’t stopped singing after almost seven minutes and their side do look like getting at a suspect Liverpool defence on the counter.

Whether or not they can stem the threat of Mane-Firmino-Salah for long enough to create their own chances in order to get something out of this game remains to be seen.

31 Mar 2018 8'

CHANCE! Ooooof that was so close for Palace. They really should have taken the lead there, but Loris Karius made a fine save.

Wilfried Zaha was played clean through with a lumped ball over the top. It was very much route one football, but the forward did brilliantly to take the ball down and bear down on goal.

With a one on one opportunity at his mercy, Zaha could only strike his effort more or less right at Karius, who deflected it over with a good stop.

31 Mar 2018 10'

Another chance! But this time it’s at the other end. A corner kick finds Virgil van Dijk completely untracked inside the penalty area. With a free header on goal, the Dutch centre back missed the target completely and headed wide.

31 Mar 2018 12'

PENALTY! Crystal Palace have been given a penalty as Loris Karius takes down Zaha inside the box.

31 Mar 2018 13'

GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 LIVERPOOL

31 Mar 2018 13'

Luka Milivojevic tucks the penalty away into the lefthand corner and Palace are ahead after just 13 minutes.

Roy Hodgson watched on and allowed himself a miniature fist pump as the ball swept past Karius. The German goalkeeper did so well to deny Zaha, only to bring him down and earn a yellow card for his troubles. Disaster for the Reds.

31 Mar 2018 14'

31 Mar 2018 16'

It so easily could have been Liverpool ahead moments before.

31 Mar 2018 19'

Liverpool have been dealt an early, early set-back and as a result have been forced to react.

Klopp’s side seemed easy-going and relaxed inside the opening 10 minutes but now have a renewed sense of urgency about their play, as they hurl the ball forward a lot quicker than before via that potent front three.

The Palace fans continue to sing in fine voice, almost as if they know how much Liverpool hate playing here.

31 Mar 2018 24'

Penalty claim! But it’s not given… In fact, Sadio Mane is booked for simulation by  Neil Swarbrick. The Liverpool forward goes down amid a challenge from James McArthur inside the box, but the referee says Mane made a meal of it and that there wasn’t enough contact to go down.

31 Mar 2018 27'

31 Mar 2018 30'

Liverpool have the ball in the back of the net… but it won’t count. Sadio Mane nudges a header beyond the fingertips of Wayne Hennessey following a corner, but he’s ruled out for offside. A frustrating few minutes for the forward.

31 Mar 2018 31'

31 Mar 2018 33'

Another chance for Liverpool. A pair of crosses causes havoc inside the box, the second of which came from the boot of 19-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold, however a handful of headers sees the danger away for Palace eventually.

The young England defender is doing well getting forward, but has been a little bit nervous at the other end in terms of his defensive duties trying to keep Wilfried Zaha quiet. A difficult task, it must be said, for any defender.

31 Mar 2018 40'

Liverpool still pressing forward but Palace’s organisation and resilience is quite admirable this afternoon. They are quick to every challenge and not allowing their opponents time to rest on the ball, or the time needed to spot chinks in their armour.

31 Mar 2018 44'

Liverpool have had nine attempts on goal to Palace’s two as we approach half-time, but the visitors simply haven’t been able to make them count just yet.

They are having success from set pieces and down the right wing getting crosses into the box, but none of Salah, Mane or Firmino have been able to get the ball out of their feet in order to run at defenders so far.

31 Mar 2018 45'

Wayne Hennessey with a fine, fine save following a header from Sadio Mane again following a corner kick. The Welsh shot-stopper easily could have been caught wrong-footed, but did well to get down low and extend an arm to bat the ball away. Great stop.

31 Mar 2018 45'

There will be two minutes of stoppage time to come at the end of the first half.

31 Mar 2018 45'+2

HALF-TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 LIVERPOOL

31 Mar 2018 45'+9

Well, what did we make of that? Liverpool, perhaps to many’s surprise, trail Palace at the break.

They have looked largely in control so far in terms of possession and attempts on goal, however it must be argued that the hosts have been the better side in terms of their own individual game plan.

Luka Milivojevic tucked away a 13th minute penalty following a howler of a foul from Loris Karius on Wilfried Zaha and ever since Roy Hodgson’s side have been pretty compact and resilient at the back to shut the Reds out and keep them at bay.

Are they on course for all three points, or will Liverpool respond? Time will tell…

31 Mar 2018 46'

SECOND-HALF: We’re back underway for another 45 minutes.

31 Mar 2018 46'

An early chance for Palace to double their lead. Former Reds man Benteke did well to hold the ball up but the final ball was overplayed and failed to pick out James McArthur, who was peeling away unmarked in the final third.

31 Mar 2018 49'

GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-1 LIVERPOOL (MANE 49)

31 Mar 2018 50'

A perfect response from Liverpool and a perfect start to the second half. Sadio Mane enjoyed a tough time of it in the opening 45 minutes, but now has his side level with what can only be described as a classy™  finish.

James Milner resurrected possession inside the box following a cross towards the back post. His low cross was met by Mane at the front post as he managed to flick the ball past Wayne Hennessey with ease. We’re all square.

31 Mar 2018 52'

31 Mar 2018 57'

Liverpool have a renewed sense of confidence now as they surge forward with speed and precision at every given opportunity. Palace had done so well to keep them out, but something had to give eventually with the quality Klopp has at his disposal up front.

The visitors sense three points up for grabs here now.

31 Mar 2018 62'

CHANCE! And another! Oh goodness me. Christian Benteke with two dreadful misses in a row. The first he attempted to dip into the top corner with Karius slightly off his line, only to balloon his effort wide.

An opportunity to redeem himself came right away with a quick break. Andros Townsend did brilliantly to cut inside and lay the ball off to Benteke inside the box.

But with the goal at his mercy the Belgian scuffed his shot again, and drove it flying over the bar.

31 Mar 2018 61'

Sadio Mane, on a yellow card, handles the ball along the ground but is not given a second booking. Mane thought he himself was fouled, grabbed hold of the ball along the ground, but is let off. Very strange.

31 Mar 2018 64'

Substitution for Liverpool: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Sadio Mane.

31 Mar 2018 64'

Substitution for Liverpool: Adam Lallana replaces Georginio Wijnaldum.

31 Mar 2018 69'

Adam Lallana is only on the pitch three minutes, however the player has taken a serious knock which means he himself will be replaced by Dejan Lovren.

Lallana has been plagued by injury woes this season and has only started one Premier League game all campaign. Worrying scenes as he is brought off to the applause of the Selhurst Park crowd.

31 Mar 2018 73'

Substitution for Crystal Palace: Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces Yohan Cabaye.

31 Mar 2018 76'

Almost a chance for Palace to re-gain the lead. Great work down the left wing saw the ball dropped onto the chest of Andros Townsend.

But the winger couldn’t get the ball down in space in order to get his shot away. Liverpool bodies flooded in front of him and booted the ball away.

While it looked initially like the visitors would go from strength to strength after Mane’s equaliser, now the game looks a lot more evenly balanced. It could go either way…

31 Mar 2018 80'

A pair of chances comes and goes for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold is performing excellently along the right wing, providing dangerous cross after dangerous cross into the box.

The problem for Jurgen Klopp is that there seems to be no man on hand to tap the ball in from close range. Mohamed Salah came close, but couldn’t get a foot to the ball for what would be his 29th Premier League goal of the season in 32 games.

31 Mar 2018 84'

GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-2 LIVERPOOL (SALAH 84)

31 Mar 2018 85'

Liverpool are ahead and Mohamed Salah simply cannot stop scoring!

A cross into the box was taken down expertly by the forward, he found a tiny of pocket of space to get his shot off and slammed a brilliant finish into Wayne Hennessey’s far corner.

Poacher’s instinct from Salah and Liverpool are ahead for the first time this afternoon with five minutes to go.

31 Mar 2018 89'

Substitution for Crystal Palace: Timothy Fosu-Mensah replaces Aaron-Wan Bissaka.

31 Mar 2018 90'

There will be four minutes of stoppage time to come at the end of the second half.

31 Mar 2018 90'+1

31 Mar 2018 90'+4

FULL-TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 1-2 LIVERPOOL

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Aaron Gallagher
aaron@the42.ie
@AaronGallagher8
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