Crystal Palace 1 Liverpool 2: Harvey Elliott nets 91st-minute worldie to send Reds top in controversial clash
HARVEY ELLIOTT fired Liverpool to the top of the League ahead of leaders Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa later this afternoon.
The England Under-21 international became the 11th substitute to score for Jurgen Klopp’s team this season with a stoppage time winner to sink ten-man Palace.
Mo Salah had hauled the visitors back into contention with his 200th goal for the club just seconds after Palace winger Jordan Ayew had been dismissed for a second yellow card.
It means Liverpool have now taken a remarkable 18 points from losing positions this season.
Yet even Klopp would have to admit that his team dodged a bullet after stinking the place out for most of this match.
Klopp’s dislike for early kick-offs is clearly shared by his players and they started this game without any sense of energy or urgency.
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For the best part of half an hour they played as though they never thought Palace could score in a month of Sundays and that it was just a matter of time before they made a breakthrough.
But when the first shot on target finally arrived in the 28th minute, it was Alisson who was forced into action to push Jefferson Lerma’s shot against a post before Trent Alexander-Arnold hoofed clear.
Yet even that narrow escape did not serve as a wake-up call for the dozy visitors and a minute later ref Andy Madley pointed to the spot when Virgil van Dijk brought down Odsonne Edouard with a clumsy tackle from behind.
But before Palace had the chance to convert the penalty, Madley was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR John Brooks to confirm that Wataru Endo had been fouled by Will Hughes in the build-up.
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It was not the first time that Endo had been dispossessed in his own half and though this one was judged to be a foul it summed up Liverpool’s curiously casual approach.
Their first meaningful effort did not arrive until first-half stoppage time when Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot was deflected over off Hughes.
But it was still no surprise when Endo failed to appear for the second-half as Joe Gomez was introduced at right-back and Alexander-Arnold moved into midfield.
Yet whatever reaction Klopp was hoping for failed to materialise and 12 minutes after the restart Palace were deservedly ahead.
And this time they were beneficiaries of the men in Stockley Park as Madley was again told to look at the TV to check on Jarrell Quansah’s challenge on substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Once again the video evidence was clear and there was to be no second reprieve for Liverpool, with Qansah immediately hauled off by Klopp before Mateta even had the chance to send Alisson the wrong way from the penalty spot.
But just when it was beginning to look as though struggling Palace were going to claim a famous victory, they were undone by Ayew’s early departure.
And before they had the chance to regroup, Curtis Jones pounced on Michael Olise’s weak clearance to tee up Salah for his 75th minute equaliser.
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Poor old Roy Hodgson was so incensed by the injustice of it all that he was shown a rare yellow card.
But much worse was soon to follow as Sam Johnstone was forced off by an 86th injury and four minutes later Elliott was allowed to run unchallenged before lashing past sub keeper Remi Matthews from the edge of the area.
