Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park on Sunday. The win came in the Premier League on Matchday 10. Florian Wirtz scored his first league goal of the season. Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak also scored for Liverpool. Eddie Nketiah scored a late penalty for Palace. The result moved Liverpool up to fourth place. It sent Palace to the bottom of the table.
Wirtz was the star of the game. He scored one goal and set up one more. He was named Man of the Match. The German star joined Liverpool for £116m from Bayer Leverkusen. His goal ended a long wait. His last league goal had also come against Palace.
Mac Allister Heads Liverpool in Front
Liverpool started the game on the front foot. Mac Allister had an early effort saved by Dean Henderson in the first minute. Dominik Szoboszlai then forced a diving stop from a free-kick. Yeremy Pino curled a shot against the bar in the 18th minute. Jorgen Strand Larsen then found the net in the 33rd minute. The goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Mac Allister gave Liverpool the lead in the 40th minute. Szoboszlai sent in a free-kick from the side. Mac Allister rose to meet it with a header. He was unmarked in the box. The ball went past Henderson and into the net. Liverpool went into half-time with a 1-0 lead.
Wirtz Ends Goal Wait With Calm Finish
Wirtz doubled the lead in the 54th minute. Bradley Barcola sent in a low cross from the wing. Wirtz met the ball with a calm finish. He placed it into the bottom corner. Henderson had no chance to save it. The goal brought relief for Wirtz and for Liverpool. He had waited all season for his first league goal.
Isak Seals Win Before Palace Consolation
Palace pushed hard for a way back into the game. Pino had a one-on-one chance with under 15 minutes left. Alisson denied him with a fine save. Alisson then saved from Jefferson Lerma. Nketiah lashed a shot over the bar. Daichi Kamada, Quinten Timber and Adam Wharton were also denied by Alisson. The Liverpool keeper made six saves in the game.
Henderson made a big stop to deny Isak with under five minutes left. Isak did not have to wait long for his goal. He scored in the 89th minute. Wirtz set him up with a pass. Isak struck from close range. The shot took a deflection on its way in. It gave Liverpool a 3-0 lead and sealed the win.
Palace scored a late consolation in the fifth minute of added time. Nketiah scored from the penalty spot in the 90+5th minute. The penalty came after Dario Osorio clashed heads with Milos Kerkez. Nketiah sent Alisson the wrong way. The goal came too late to change the result. Liverpool held on for a 3-1 win.
Why Win Matters for Liverpool
The win matters a lot for Liverpool. It ended a run of two straight defeats. The team had lost to Arsenal and Fenerbahce. The win before the international break gives the squad a lift. It also moves Liverpool up to fourth place. The Reds are unbeaten away from home in the league. They have now won four away league games this season.
Wirtz will take great heart from his goal. He joined Liverpool for £116m from Bayer Leverkusen. The fee brought big hopes with it. Fans had waited for his first league goal. That wait is now over. His goal and his assist show what he can add to the side. Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is in his first season in charge. He arrived from Bournemouth to replace the sacked Arne Slot.
Palace face a tough time after this defeat. The loss was their fourth in a row. They go into the international break at the bottom of the table. Boss Pierre Sage is under pressure. He needs a quick turn in form when play resumes. But they could not take their chances. Liverpool took theirs. That was the key gap in the game.
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Barcola, Araujo.
| Final score | Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace |
| Scorers | Mac Allister 40′, Wirtz 54′, Isak 89′ / Nketiah 90+5′ (pen) |
| Venue | Selhurst Park |
| Liverpool league position | 4th |
| Palace league position | Bottom (20th) |
| Alisson saves | 6 |
| Wirtz Premier League goals this season | 1 |
Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak scored for Liverpool. Mac Allister scored in the 40th minute, Wirtz in the 54th minute and Isak in the 89th minute.
It was his first Premier League goal of the season. Wirtz joined Liverpool for £116m and had waited all season for a league goal. He also set up Isak for the third goal in the 3-1 win.
Palace are bottom of the table. They have lost four games in a row and go into the international break in last place, with boss Pierre Sage under pressure.
