Liverpool vs Crystal Palace final score, result, stats as Eze deals huge damage to Premier League title hopes

Joe Wright

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Liverpool vs Crystal Palace final score, result, stats as Eze deals huge damage to Premier League title hopes image

Liverpool suffered a potentially critical blow in the Premier League title race as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace at Anfield.

The Reds were beaten 3-0 at home by Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League and once again were guilty of spurning good chances as they failed to score in a home league game for the first time since a 0-0 draw with Manchester United on December 17 last year.

Eberechi Eze converted after a good move from Palace just 14 minutes in, and the Eagles held firm throughout an impressive team performance reminiscent of their 1-0 victory at Old Trafford earlier this season.

Klopp's team were far from their best but still spurned a host of clear-cut opportunities to equalise, with Darwin Nunez smashing a shot straight at Dean Henderson from close range and Curtis Jones missing the target when through one-on-one.

The result means the Reds stay third in the Premier League, two points adrift of Manchester City and behind Arsenal on goal difference. The Gunners face Aston Villa later on Sunday.

MORE: Premier League top scorers: Can Mohamed Salah still win the Golden Boot?

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace final score

  Fulltime Goalscorers
Liverpool 0  
Crystal Palace 1 Eze 14'

Confirmed lineups:

Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Alisson (GK) — 84. Conor Bradley (66. Trent Alexander-Arnold, 46'), 4. Virgil van Dijk, 5. Ibrahima Konate, 26. Andrew Robertson — 17. Curtis Jones (19. Harvey Elliott, 82'), 3. Wataru Endo (8. Dominik Szoboszlai, 46'), 10. Alexis Mac Allister — 9. Mohamed Salah, 9. Darwin Nunez (20. Diogo Jota, 66'), 7. Luis Diaz (18. Cody Gakpo, 66')

Crystal Palace (3-4-3, right to left): 30. Dean Henderson (GK) — 12. Daniel Munoz, 16. Joachim Andersen, 8. Jefferson Lerma — 17. Nathaniel Clyne (2. Joel Ward, 77'), 20. Adam Wharton, 19 Will Hughes (44. Jairo Riedewald, 77'), 3. Tyrick Mitchell — 7. Michael Olise (9. Jordan Ayew, 68'), 14. Jean-Philippe Mateta (22. Odsonne Edouard, 89'), 10. Eberechi Eze (17. Jeffrey Schlupp, 77').

MORE: How Wrexham secured promotion to move a step closer to the Premier League

Palace were rewarded for a good start 14 minutes in, Eze side-footing home when left completely unmarked six yards from goal at the end of a fine passing moves down the left from the visitors.

Wataru Endo hit the crossbar after a goalmouth scramble and Salah was denied by a good save from Henderson, but a sense of trepidation seemed to pervade Anfield as Klopp's team looked laborious on the ball and ineffective in the final third.

There was an improvement in the second half but, again, Liverpool were made to pay for profligacy. Nunez shot straight at Henderson barely six yards out, and Jones failed to connect with a Cody Gakpo cross from the right. Diogo Jota had an open goal to aim at but saw his shot blocked by Nathaniel Clyne, and Jones then pushed a shot wide when racing through on goal from Gakpo's pass, all in the same frantic two-minute period in which Jean-Philippe Mateta somehow failed to make it 2-0 from point-blank range.

Harvey Elliott had a header kept out by Henderson before Salah looked certain to score in injury time, only for Tyrick Mitchell to cover the ground and block superbly. When Van Dijk's header bounced across the box and behind for a goal kick after 98 minutes, the final whistle sounded around a stunned Anfield.

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace stats

Liverpool Stats Crystal Palace
21 Shots 8
6 Shots on target 5
2.87 Expected goals 1.87
70% Possession 30%
719 Passes 322
11 Corners 1
2 Offsides 5
10 Fouls 10
1 Yellow cards 1

Have Crystal Palace ended Liverpool's title hopes again?

Liverpool fans must hate the sight of Crystal Palace in the closing weeks of the season.

Back in 2013/14, the Reds famously let a 3-0 lead at Selhust Park slip away in their penultimate match of the season, a result that effectively handed Manchester City the title. That came after the infamous 2-0 home loss to Chelsea, when captain Steven Gerrard fell in his own half to allow Demba Ba to score.

There were shades of that infamous moment on Sunday when Reds skipper Van Dijk slipped over and Mateta was presented with a free run at goal. His chip over Alisson lacked power, though, and Andy Robertson recovered brilliantly to clear the ball off the line.

Still, there was a sense of foreboding for much of this game, as though Klopp's team and their fans had a funny feeling something like this was going to happen. There was a nervousness on the pitch and in the stands. Perhaps that explains the errant finishing.

Liverpool are by no means out of this season's three-way title race, but this felt like a pivotal moment. Things are now out of their hands: if Arsenal and Man City win all their remaining games, there is nothing the Reds can do.

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace live updates and commentary

Fulltime: Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace

Anfield is silent as the final whistle sounds, save for the pocket of Palace fans celebrating in the corner. They've beaten Liverpool on their own patch — and maybe, just maybe, ended the Reds' hopes of winning the title.

90 + 8 mins: Alisson goes up for one last throw of the dice. The free-kick finds the head of Van Dijk, the ball bounces right across the penalty area... and out for a goal kick. AND THE REFEREE BLOWS THE FINAL WHISTLE! LIVERPOOL LOSE!

90 + 6 mins: Palace have the ball in the corner near their exuberant away fans. Joachim Andersen, the goalscorer when the Eagles beat Manchester United at Old Trafford, has been named Player of the Match at Anfield.

90 + 4 mins: Van Dijk has gone forwards as an auxiliary striker, but Elliott's cross evades everyone and goes out for a goal kick. Palace have around three minutes to hold on.

90 + 1 min: SALAH! Another chances goes begging! Jota touches on a cross, the ball drops to Salah six yards out, but Mitchell gets across to block his shot. Brilliant defending again.

89 mins: Robertson tries to find Elliott's run, but the ball goes behind for a goal kick, prompting loud groans from the Kop and a rueful head-shake from Klopp. We're going to have a minimum of seven minutes added time.

87 mins: Good save, Henderson! Gakpo does well down the Liverpool left before crossing towards the far post. Elliot heads it goalwards from a tight angle, but Henderson makes himself a big target and saves with an outstretched arm. He's looked suspect dealing with high balls today, but Henderson's shot-stopping has been on point.

82 mins: More uncertainty in the Palace box after another corner, but Van Dijk concedes a free-kick after catching Munoz. Liverpool have around 10 minutes to rescue this.

75 mins: HOW IS THIS ONLY 1-0?? Gakpo leads a quick break and slides in Jones, who beats Hughes for pace and has only Henderson to beat, but he puts his shot wide! Incredible.

74 mins: MATETA CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Palace send a free-kick into the box, Joachim Andersen nods it down, and Mateta shoots from barely a yard out, but Alisson juts out an elbow to deflect it over! Palace should be 2-0 up!

72 mins: JOTA HAS TO SCORE! Will Hughes' attempted tackle on Jones pushes the ball into Szoboszlai's path inside the penalty area. He squares it to Jota, who has an open goal to aim at, but Clyne throws himself in front of the ball to make a brilliant block.

70 mins: Van Dijk glances a header wide from a corner. That's looking like a good route back into this for Liverpool — they seem to win the first header from every single delivery.

67 mins: With his first involvement, Gakpo fires in a low cross from the right, but Curtis Jones completely misses his attempt. Liverpool then appeal for a penalty as Clyne blocks Robertson's cross with arms in front of his chest, but the officials are unmoved.

65 mins: The Anfield crowd is still remarkably quiet. There's a real feeling of anxiety around here, with Liverpool unable to carve out many meaningful chances. Jota and Gakpo are now on, with Nunez and Diaz making way.

61 mins: Two chances for the two Liverpool substitutes end in the same way: first Szoboszlai and then Alexander-Arnold blast over the bar from 25 yards out. Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo are going to enter the fray.

55 mins: HUGE CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL! A corner drops to Nunez, barely five yards from goal, but he smashes his shot straight at Henderson, who manages to make a save with his knee. It's excellent goalkeeping, but Nunez really should score from there.

52 mins: Eze crosses after getting behind Alexander-Arnold, but there's nobody in a Palace shirt to meet it. Munoz keeps the move alive but Liverpool eventually clear.

Kickoff: Second half

Liverpool make two changes: on come Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai, with Wataru Endo and Conor Bradley going off.

Halftime

Klopp runs down the touchline and towards the dressing room as an eery quiet greets the halftime whistle around Anfield. Liverpool need a big, big improvement here.

45 mins: Palace once again make inroads down the Liverpool right. Eze crosses for Mateta, who can't direct a difficult header on target when under pressure from Van Dijk. We're heading into two minutes of added time.

42 mins: Henderson gets away with one there! The Palace keeper hesitates as Nunez gets in behind the defence and, when he finally comes off his line, the striker lifts the ball beyond him, but Diaz can't manage to turn it goalwards. The offside flag is then raised anyway.

37 mins: Eze leads another good Palace break, but his pass to Olise is far too hard and his teammate can't control the ball heading into the box. That was a decent chance.

34 mins: Salah races in behind Lerma, cuts back onto his left foot and aims for the far corner, but Henderson makes a good save. What follows is a series of 50-50 challenges across the middle third of the pitch that end in, well, about a 50-50 success rate. This has become a good battle.

33 mins: Mac Allister wins a free-kick right on the edge of the Palace box. Salah rolls it to one side and Mac Allister strikes, but Palace were so quick to close down the space, and the shot is easily blocked.

30 mins: Palace get in again, and Mateta attempts an audacious backheel finish from right in front of the Kop. He perhaps knew he was offside.

28 mins: Salah! Robertson's cross from the left sails to the far post and Salah stretches to get a touch on it, but Henderson covers his post well. From the corner, Ibrahima Konate climbs highest but can only head the ball over the bar.

27 mins: OFF THE BAR! A loose ball in the Palace box drops at Van Dijk's feet, and nobody seems able to sort their feet out. In the end, Wataru Endo swings a foot at it, and the ball smashes off the crossbar from barely six yards out.

22 mins: Luis Diaz tries to spark Liverpool into life, winning back the ball and allowing Mohamed Salah to play in Nunez, but Jefferson Lerma makes an outstanding sliding tackle. Moments later, Robertson gets into the box down the same side but is denied by another excellent challenge, this time from Nathaniel Clyne.

17 mins: OFF THE LINE! Incredible! Shades of Steven Gerrard 2014 as captain Virgil van Dijk slips over and Jean-Philippe Mateta is through on goal. He chips a finish over the onrushing Alisson, but Andrew Robertson gets back to hook the ball off the line. Brilliant from the left-back, but what a missed opportunity for Palace.

14 mins: GOAL! It's Palace who get the early breakthrough! It's a lovely passing move down the left, but Liverpool just don't close down the play quickly enough. In the end, Tyrick Mitchell gets free inside the box and cuts the ball back to Eberechi Eze, who is completely unmarked six yards from goal as he side-foots home a composed finish.

Watch in USA:

7 mins: Darwin Nunez has the first shot, but it's a comfortable stop for Dean Henderson. There's a bit of a nervy feeling around the ground. Liverpool would love a goal to settle themselves down.

5 mins: It's been a sedate start here. Liverpool have controlled the early possession but haven't found a way through the Palace defence.

Kickoff: First half

We're off and running!

5 mins before kickoff: The teams are out, and Anfield is in full voice as You'll Never Walk Alone echoes around the stands. The players have now gathered around the centre circle for a minute's silence.

15 mins before kickoff: This is a huge game for Liverpool today (aren't they all at this stage of the season?). It would give Arsenal a real lift before their meeting with Aston Villa later if the Reds can't take all three points.

Palace have only won one of their past 13 away games in all competitions, though, so Jurgen Klopp may consider today's opponents to be good ones to face today...

Team news

The big news for Liverpool is that goalkeeper Alisson is back in the starting lineup for the first time since February 4. It had been thought Trent Alexander-Arnold might also start, but he's on the bench again.

Palace have former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the lineup, along with star Michael Olise and ex-Liverpool man Nathaniel Clyne.

1 hour 30 mins before kickoff: This will be a poignant day at Anfield. Liverpool traditionally mark the home game closest to the date of the Hillsborough disaster of April 15, 1989, commemorating the 97 fans who lost their lives as a result of the tragedy. Wreaths have been laid at the Anfield memorial site before kickoff, and there will be a period of reflection before today's game.

2 hours before kickoff: Can Liverpool match Manchester City with a home win that puts pressure on Arsenal?

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace kick off time

This Premier League clash takes place at Anfield in Liverpool, UK and kicks off on Sunday, April 14 at 2:00 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

  Date Kickoff time
USA Sun, Apr. 14 9:00 a.m. ET
Canada Sun, Apr. 14 9:00 a.m. ET
UK Sun, Apr. 14 2:00 p.m. BST
Australia Sun, Apr. 14 11:00 p.m. AEST
India Sun, Apr. 14 6:30 p.m. IST

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace lineups, team news

Klopp said Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota could all feature in this game following their return to training from injuries, but it's only the goalkeeper who lines up from the start.

Liverpool XI (4-3-3, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Bradley, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson — Jones, Endo, Mac Allister — Salah, Nunez, Diaz.

Liverpool subs: Gomez, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Elliott, Jota, Gravenberch, Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah

Crystal Palace's injury list remains unchanged ahead of their trip up to Anfield with seven first-team players still out of action. Michael Olise is ready to start as he works his way back to full fitness.

Crystal Palace XI (3-4-3, right to left): Henderson (GK) — Munoz, Andersen, Lerma — Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell — Olise, Mateta, Eze.

Crystal Palace subs: Ward, Tomkins, Ayew, Schlupp, Edouard, Ahamada, Matthews, Riedewald, Ozoh

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

Region TV Streaming
USA NBC USA Network, Telemundo Fubo, NBS Sports app/website, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada —

Fubo Canada
UK Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League Sky GO, Now TV
Australia — Optus Sport
India — JioTV, Hotstar

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USA: This game is available on the NBC USA Network with streaming options on Fubo and the latter is currently offering a FREE trial. Telemundo is the place to go for Spanish language services.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live-streaming exclusively via Fubo.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on-demand on Optus Sport.

UK: This game is available via live broadcast on Sky Sports with streaming options on Sky GO and Now TV.

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Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.