Liverpool’s terrible week just got a whole lot worse.
A shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Crystal Palace dealt a blow to Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of a second Premier League title. After Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League defeat by Atalanta, the season is in danger of being extinguished.
We break down the biggest talking points from Anfield…
Is this the end of title hopes?
Even the most pessimistic minds on Merseyside would struggle to envisage Liverpool’s week playing as poorly as they have.
After a 3-0 home loss to Atalanta, a result that leaves progress to the Europa League semi-finals hanging by a thread, another devastating setback has made the Premier League title even more unlikely.
Liverpool’s unconvincing form has been overshadowed by a late clash, but Crystal Palace’s decisive performance in a 1-0 win has dealt a potentially fatal blow to Jurgen Klopp’s goals of signing off with the league title.
Something close to perfection was needed along the way, given the brilliant form of Manchester City and Arsenal, and this unexpected defeat — Liverpool’s first at home in the Premier League since October 2022 — has shattered all belief.
Another six league games remain for Liverpool to respond, but wins in all of them may no longer be enough. Liverpool have seen Manchester City’s full-backs before in title races and the hope of favors rarely pans out.
A season that promised so much has collapsed dramatically in just four days.
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace match boardshowing how Klopp’s side missed glorious scoring chances
Why do Liverpool play so slowly at the start of games?
A recurring pattern in Liverpool’s home games is derailing this season’s ambitions.
They were sloppy, lethargic starters, with opponents allowed to strike first. Crystal Palace were the latest to take the wind out of Liverpool’s sails when they grabbed a 14th-minute lead through Eberetsi Eze. It was a well-worked goal for the visitors, but another woeful episode of defensive work from Liverpool, who started without a flicker of tension.
Eze capitalizes on Liverpool’s sloppy start (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
It was the 21st time in 51 league and cup games that Klopp’s side have conceded first, and the sudden absence of a clean sheet continues to make even routine games look like occasions.
You have to go back to December 17 and a 0-0 draw to find the last Premier League visitor (Manchester United) to fail to score at Anfield and, since early February, Burnley, Luton Town, Brighton & Hove Albion and Again they all scored in the first half at Anfield.
Defensively poor again — and it doesn’t get any better.
How did Liverpool miss these chances?
Liverpool are far from their best but the missed chances in the second half were inexplicable. There were four huge openings for four different players but, crucially, no goals.
Darwin Nunez — as often wasteful as the focal point of Liverpool’s attack — set the tone when his close-range effort was kept out by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Substitute Diogo Jota was another guilty man, blocked by Nathaniel Clyne from Dominic Sobozlai’s pass. Neither Henderson nor Clyne should be given the chance to deny Liverpool.
It was starting to look like a disastrous afternoon from the moment Curtis Jones found himself one-on-one with Henderson — and a finish that he sent wide did little to change the outlook.
Mohamed Salah, off the mark all afternoon, then added to Liverpool’s horror afternoon in front of goal when his late shot was blocked by Tariq Mitchell.
It all combined to undermine Liverpool’s hopes of putting pressure on their title rivals.
Was Robertson the one spark?
In a tired team performance characterized by misplaced passing and attacking positioning, Andy Robertson steadily rose above the mediocrity that surrounded him.
The Liverpool left-back played with an energy and drive that most team-mates struggle to find, galloping forward down the flanks to stretch a patched-up Palace defence.
A deep, inviting cross to Luis Diaz almost produced the equaliser, but for a superb save by Henderson. In the first half, Robertson was as threatening as any Liverpool forward.
The Scot’s defensive work, however, was even more important. With Palace already a goal ahead, Robertson had the awareness and pace to cover back and clear Jean-Philippe Mateta’s clipped finish off the line. The goal line technology showed that Robertson was the savior… by inches.
… and flicks the ball over Alisson, with Robertson following.
The ball appears to go over the line…
… just for Robertson to clarify.
… with goal line technology that shows you missed by inches.
Liverpool’s left side always looked far more confident than their right, with Palace regularly targeting Connor Bradley and Ibrahim Konate with a flood of attacks down that flank.
Robertson, a 2020 Premier League winner, was the experience Liverpool were crying out for.
What did Jurgen Klopp say?
The Liverpool manager could not hide his disappointment as he suffered just his second league defeat at Anfield in front of home fans since April 2017.
“Talking about this game is really difficult,” he told Sky Sports. “The first half was not good enough, so we reacted. The reaction was that we lost confidence from the last game. We tried to get rid of it, but that didn’t work as well as we wanted.
“To concede that goal was a horrible goal to concede with a completely free player in the area. This cannot happen but it does. Crystal Palace didn’t have many more (chances) and we controlled it better and after the second half we can easily say if we don’t score with those chances what do you say?
“The second half was much better, Trent (Alexander-Arnold) came on and the moment the formation changed. We caused problems and had big, big chances. If we stand here and win the game 4-1, we could see the same game with a completely different result. But we didn’t, so we have to accept it.”
What’s next for Liverpool?
Thursday, April 18: Atalanta (A), Europa League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
Liverpool are renowned for European comebacks but will need to produce something special, even by their standards, if they are to overturn a 3-0 deficit heading into their Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta.
Fail, and this will be the last European game of the Klopp era… but if any manager can inspire a turnaround, it’s probably him.
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(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
