Liverpool strengthened their push for a UEFA Champions League place with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. It was an important result after losing to Palace three times earlier this season.
Liverpool started well and looked confident. They thought they had a penalty when Mohamed Salah went down, but VAR showed the defender got the ball, so no penalty was given.
The breakthrough came when Alexander Isak controlled a loose effort and finished calmly to make it 1-0.
Palace responded well. Jean-Philippe Mateta tested the goalkeeper, and Maxence Lacroix was also denied from a corner.
Liverpool then doubled their lead with a quick counter-attack. Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones combined to set up Andrew Robertson, who scored what could be his final goal for the club.
After the break, Isak nearly scored again, but Palace stayed in the game. Ismaïla Sarr came close, but Virgil van Dijk defended well.
Palace pulled one back in unusual fashion. Daniel Muñoz scored into an empty net after the Liverpool keeper was hurt while making a save.
Palace almost equalised late on, but they hit the post. Then Wirtz made sure of the win with a fine goal in stoppage time.
The only concern for Liverpool was Salah, who went off injured. He waved to all sides of the ground as he left, which could suggest this might be his final games for the club.
Palace have now won just one of their last 19 matches against top-half teams. Liverpool, meanwhile, move up to fourth place and now have an eight-point gap over sixth place.
