Win at all costs. But at what cost? Liverpool maintained their place at the Premier League summit here with a hard-fought victory over Crystal Palace courtesy of Diogo Jota’s early goal.
The sight, though, of their brilliant goalkeeper Alisson Becker limping off with a suspected hamstring injury took the shine off what was, ultimately, a successful jaunt to the Big Smoke.
The severity of the ailment needs stabling, and with the international break upon us Liverpool have time to play with.
But if the anguished look on the Brazilian’s face was anything to go by, Liverpool boss Arne Slot is fearing the worst – particular with games against Chelsea and Arsenal on the horizon.
‘We don’t know (how bad it is), but when he walks off like he does it means he is not in going with the Brazil squad and I don’t expect him to be in the team for the game afterwards,’ said Slot.
Alisson went down with a hamstring injury late in the second half and had to be taken off
Diogo Jota scored the only goal of the game when he slotted past Henderson in the ninth minute on his 100th appearance
The Portuguese forward’s first-half strike helped Liverpool to their sixth league win this term
‘He is the best keeper in the world, so it’s a blow.’
Yet a win is a win, and Liverpool have discovered the valuable knack of totting up the victories.
But for the home aberration against Nottingham Forest, the Reds have racked up nine triumphs in Slot’s 10 games in charge so far – meaning the Dutchman has made the best start of any manager’s first 10 games in Liverpool history.
Liverpool head into the second set of international fixtures of the season as the team to topple.
Are they genuine title contenders? The evidence suggests so, though we may be better served reserving judgment until after those tests against London’s elite.
‘It is very satisfying and very special (to be most successful Liverpool manager after 10 games) given how many managers this club has had,’ said Slot.
‘But in five years, I don’t want to be remembered for this. We want to be remembered for more than this.’
While the Merseysiders can’t stop winning, their opponents on Saturday are at the polar opposite end of the spectrum.
Zero wins this season in the Premier League for Palace. The optimism spawned by their breathtaking end to last season a distant memory.
If Oliver Glasner can’t arrest this slide, then it’s going to be a bleak winter for the Eagles.
But there were signs in the second half that Palace aren’t too far away from reviving their campaign; on another day they may have been awarded a penalty for Virgil van Dijk’s challenge on Marc Guehi late in the second half.
‘We were absolutely encouraged by the second half, this is what I told the players at the end,’ Glasner said.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner is under pressure as his side’s winless run to the season continued
Palace’s Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah react after a missed chance against Liverpool
Palace were denied a penalty after Virgil van Dijk appeared to pull back Marc Guehi in the box
‘We could see the quality of Liverpool in first half, but how we played in second half encourages all of us. We created enough chances to score.
‘We should have been a clear penalty, he (Van Dijk) had two clear hands on him. But the second half was our best performance this season, it’s not going so easily at the moment. We don’t have the results and confidence. But we will get there.’
Palace can have no complaints here, either. In truth, they didn’t well to keep the deficit to one.
A first half almost entirely dominated by Liverpool, ironically started with the ball in the back of Alisson’s net inside just 24 seconds.
Eddie Nketiah’s deft finish over the Anfield keeper from Ismaila Sarr pass was outstanding. His run, though, was ever so slightly mistimed with the goal correctly ruled out for offside.
The combination would have encouraged Glasner, who’d handed Sarr his first Palace start since arriving from Marseille in the summer and, having dropped Jean-Philippe Mateta, deployed Nketiah is his favoured central striker position having been used in a deeper role since his £30million arrival from Arsenal.
But Palace’s early optimism was short-lived. Not only did they have to contend with an early injury to key defender Daniel Munoz, who was replaced by Nathaniel Clyne in the 17th minute, but more pertinently, a Liverpool side that quickly shifted into gear.
Slot’s men fired home their winner in the ninth minute; Diogo Jota nipping ahead of Trevoh Chalobah, making his debut after recovering from an injury that has stunted his progress since arriving from Chelsea, to tap home Cody Gakpo’s low cross.
Kostas Tsimikas played a key role in the build-up to Jota’s match-winning goal in the first half
Liverpool’s victory ensured they would remain in top spot going into the international break
Alisson hobbled off after being substituted as reserve ‘keeper Vitezslav Jaros came on to replace him
But while Jota accepted the adulation for his fourth of the season, the Portuguese owes a big debt of gratitude to Kostas Tsimikas, whose incisive pass opened a chasm in Palace’s defence that allowed Gakpo to put the ball on a plate for the goalscorer.
The Greek left-back’s contribution offered some vindication to Slot’s team selection as the Dutchman rotated, making four changes from the team that defeated Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday night; Tsimikas in place of Andy Robertson one of Liverpool boss’ alterations.
Not that it looked like the visitor’s were understrength in any way as they popped the ball about effortlessly to leave Palace chasing shadows.
Gakpo fired over the bar in the 28th minute before Dean Henderson produced a good save to deny Trent Alexander-Arnold’s sweetly struck half-volley just moments later.
Jota then missed a glorious opportunity to double the lead and his tally for the afternoon in the 34th minute, failing to get decent purchase on Ryan Gravenberch’s cutback after the Dutchman – together with Mohamed Salah – had left Palace’s left side in tatters.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot applauds the travelling fans as they won their sixth league game
Virgil van Dijk may as well have had an orchestral baton in his hand with the way he was conducting his side from centre-half.
Gravenberch was again impressing while Curtis Jones’ energy in the centre of midfield was causing Palace problems.
The only negative for Slot was that his team weren’t home and hosed. Indeed, the fact Alisson was a full stretch to deny Sarr two minutes into first half stoppage time would have acted as a cautionary tale to the Liverpool head coach.
Once again, Palace’s lack of control in midfield would have concerned Glasner. Having dropped summer signing Daichi Kamada to the bench in place of seasoned Premier League campaigner Jefferson Lerma, the Austrian coach would have hoped for more.
It’s an issue Glasner must find a rapid solution, too. The fact Adam Wharton, who was replaced in the 60th minute, is being asked to play on with a groin issue isn’t help.
But with Palace winless in the Premier League after seven matches, Glasner needs an answer.
The fact Slot was able to replace Alexis Mac Allister with Dominic Szoboszlai in the heart of Liverpool’s at half-time won’t have made his opposite number feel any better about his own engine room conundrums.
Glasner threw on Mateta and Will Hughes on the hour mark in hope of altering the course of proceedings before Jota missed another guild-edged chance in the 62nd minute, horribly mistiming his free header from Alexander-Arnold’s wonderful free-kick.
Nketiah and Eberechi Eze both tested Alisson as, all of a sudden, Liverpool’s control faded.
Credit to Glasner, the introductions of Hughes and Mateta sparked his side’s most encouraging period of the game.
The international break can’t come soon enough for Glasner after the loss at Selhurst Park
The home support, subdued for the most part, responded in kind. This is exactly what would have worried Slot.
The sight of Alisson slumping to the floor clutching his right hamstring won’t have eased Liverpool’s anxieties, their No 1 eventually substituted in place of Vitezslav Jaros, who was making his Liverpool debut.
And the Czech rookie was eternally grateful that Eze, of all players, fluffed his lines in front of goal in the 84th minute before VAR denied the home side a penalty amid Palace claims Van Dijk’s challenge on Marc Guehi warranted a spot kick.
Ismaila Sarr, Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze all missed good opportunities for Palace, whose hopes of a come back were raised as Alisson slumped in a heap to be replaced by Vitezslav Jaros, who was making his Liverpool debut.
Palace may have felt hard done by, but Liverpool – without setting the world on fire – were largely comfortable here. Alisson, however, less so.
