London (AFP)
Liverpool, led by its Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who scored 200 goals with the Reds, overturned its deficit against its numerically inferior host Crystal Palace in the last quarter of an hour and scored the winning goal 2-1 in stoppage time, temporarily topping the English Football League standings, at the opening of the stage. Sixteen.
Liverpool raised its score to 37 points, one point ahead of Arsenal, which will defeat Aston Villa later, putting itself in a good position before facing Manchester United and Arsenal before the end of the year.
After Palace took the lead in the second half from a penalty kick, Salah equalized by scoring his 200th goal with Liverpool in various competitions, becoming the fifth player to achieve this achievement, after the Welshman Ian Rush (346), Roger Hunt (285), Jordan Hodgson (241) and the Scot Billy Liddell. «228», then played the pass for the second goal for substitute Harvey Elliott in the final minutes.
At Selhurst Park, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker and the video assistant referee “The Mouse” saved Liverpool in the first half, which ended without goals.
The visitors had the most possession in the first 25 minutes, without threatening the London team’s organized defence.
After a start from Ghanaian veteran Jordan Ayew on the right side, the brilliant Colombian Jefferson Lerma shot a ball from inside the area, which Alisson cleared in two passes with the help of the right post, in the most dangerous opportunity of the “28th” half.
The referee awarded a penalty kick to Palace, after Dutchman Virgil van Dijk obstructed Frenchman Odsonne Edouard, but the video assistant referee revealed a foul on Japanese player Wataru Endo, Liverpool midfielder, committed by Will Hughes (29).
For the first time this season, Liverpool failed to shoot on the opponent’s goal in the first half.
The second time the Video Assistant Referee intervened, this time a penalty kick was awarded to Palace, after Van Dijk’s contact with the French “substitute” Jean-Philippe Matita, which was translated into the opening goal by himself, and the host opened the scoring with a well-deserved “57”.
Palace suffered a blow that changed the course of the match, with Ayew sent off for receiving a second warning in the last quarter of an hour.
96 seconds later, Salah scored his 200th goal with Liverpool in various competitions and his 150th in the league, with a shot that bounced back strongly from former Liverpool player Nathaniel Clyne (76).
After a pass from Salah, the young “substitute” Harvey Elliott manipulated the defence, and fired a very beautiful shot from outside the area, scoring his first goal this season past the “substitute” goalkeeper Remy Matthews, who entered four minutes earlier in place of the injured goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (90).
Becker saved his goal again from an opportunity achieved by the header of Danish defender Joachim Andersen, following a “90+10” free kick.
Liverpool have lost only once in their last 27 league matches, which was against Tottenham 1-2 in September.
He also did not lose at Palace during the era of his German coach Jurgen Klopp (8 wins in 9 visits), and his last loss dates back to November 2014, under the supervision of Northern Irishman Brandon Rodgers.
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