Liverpool moved closer to Premier League title as they comfortably beat Crystal Palace 4-0 at Anfield. Liverpool is one win away to secure the title.
It would be a match played at Etihad against second placed Manchester City next Thursday, Liverpool could most probably secure the title win, provided City does not lose their match against Chelsea.
After the goalless Merseyside derby at Everton on Sunday, the title win was delayed,
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the matches behind the closed door only 300 people were allowed for the match to carry out essential works during matchday, but Liverpool played with same vigour, they are used to at Anfield. Palace’s cause was further suffered a blow when they lost Wilfried Zaha early because of an injury.
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a superb goal from a free-kick from 30-yards at 22 minutes, and Mohamed Salah effectively settled the match before the break.
And Fabinho produced something even more special, when he scored from 35-yards distance in the 54th minute past Wayne Hennessey. Salah produced a picture-perfect through pass for Sadio Mane, who had just the goalkeeper to beat.
We showed a lot, if not everything, what helped us into the position we are in now. There are obviously different ways of football, different ways you can play this game but you don’t have to compare it, so it’s not too important.
What I saw tonight, I wanted to have that before this part of the season and I said to the boys, ‘I want to see actually the best behind-closed-doors football ever’. I’m not sure if it was the best football but it was, for sure, the best counter-pressing behind closed doors ever. The attitude we showed tonight, the passion we showed was exceptional and we played some outstanding football. The goals we scored were exceptional.
In my job you usually have to calm things down and say, ‘No, no that was not that good and we can improve’. And we can improve, I know that, but that’s not important tonight. Tonight is only important that we gave this sign and that we showed our supporters the respect they deserve, that we can play like they are here, even when they are not here.
Yes, they can push us to incredible things and without them it’s nothing like it is when they are here. And I never missed them more than tonight because imagine this game would have had 55,000 people in the stadium and the emotions which would have then been in the stadium – that would’ve been incredible. But we cannot have that in the moment and so it was important that we showed our respect to people and that is what the boys did tonight. I loved it.
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool Manager
Liverpool
1-Alisson, 66-Alexander-Arnold (Williams 74′), 12-Gomez, 4-van Dijk, 26-Robertson (Elliott 84′), 14-Henderson (Oxlade-Chamberlain 64′), 3-Fabinho, 5-Wijnaldum, 11-Salah, 9-Firmino (Minamino 74′), 10-Mané (Keita 84′)
Substitutes
6-Lovren, 8-Keita, 13-Adrián, 15-Oxlade-Chamberlain, 18-Minamino, 27-Origi, 48-Jones, 67-Elliott, 76-Williams
Crystal Palace
13-Hennessey, 2-Ward, 24-Cahill, 12-Sakho, 3-van Aanholt, 22-McCarthy, 10-Townsend, 8-Kouyaté (Milivojevic 66′), 18-McArthur (Riedewald 66′), 11-Zaha (Meyer 15′), 9-J Ayew (Pierrick Keutcha 84′)
Substitutes
4-Milivojevic, 6-Dann, 7-Meyer, 19-Henderson, 36-Tavares, 39-Mitchell, 40-Pierrick Keutcha, 44-Riedewald
