October 29 2016

James McArthur

Crystal Palace were defeated 4-2 by Liverpool in a thrilling encounter at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles found Jurgen Klopp's in-form, goal-hungry side too much and suffered their third successive defeat in match riddled with defensive errors.

Liverpool started on the front foot with a typical Klopp high-pressing tactic and they took just 15 minutes to get the scoring going. Phil Coutinho found Alberto Moreno on the left and his cross was turned in by Emre Can.

But Palace equalised just three minutes later after Dejan Lovren made a hash of his back pass to Loris Karius on the edge of the box, and as the ball looped up, James McArthur nodded into an empty net.

The Reds restored their lead in the 21st minute as Lovren made amends for his mistake and rose above a ring-rusty Scott Dann, on his return from injury, to head home from a corner.

Moreno hit the left post for Liverpool, before Palace equalised again through McArthur on 32 minutes who diverted in Wilfried Zaha's cross on the right for 2-2. McArthur became only the second Palace player to score two headed goals in a Premier League game after Glenn Murray.

Liverpool made an instant response but Steve Mandanda's fantastic save onto the post from Countinho's header kept the scores level.

Two minutes before the break, Liverpool make it 3-2 after more terrible marking by Palace who allowed a totally-free Joel Matip to head in Countinho's corner. The opening 45 minutes ended with the most first-half goals (5) in the league this season.

A much-improved Palace emerged onto the field for the second half as Karius pushed out Christian Benteke's shot on the turn, while opposite number Mandada blocked Sadio Mane's effort with his boot.

The Eagles were denied their first penalty claim after Zaha and then Benteke went down in successive challenges in the area by referee Andre Marriner.

But they should have been awarded a spot kick on 69 minutes when Marriner and his assistant failed to see that Emre Can clipped Zaha just inside the box as the winger flew past him.

And crucially just two minutes later, it was game over for Palace as Roberto Firmino received Jordan Henderson's slide-rule pass to dink over the onrushing Mandanda to score the fourth goal.

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