Liverpool's title hopes hit by loss to Palace

Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of the game in the 14th minute

Liverpool's Premier League title hopes suffered a huge blow as they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds ramped up the pressure in the second half but, just as in recent games against Manchester United and Atalanta, their finishing let them down as they fell to a first league loss at home since October 2022.

Defeat leaves Liverpool two points behind leaders Manchester City and level on points with Arsenal before the Gunners' game against Aston Villa later on Sunday (16:30 BST kick-off).

Palace started brightly and led through Eze's well-worked opener, before a slip from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave Jean-Philippe Mateta a golden opportunity to double their lead.

The striker was clean through and lifted his effort past the returning Alisson Becker but Andy Robertson sprinted back to hook the ball off the line.

Liverpool rallied and Wataru Endo struck the bar after Palace failed to deal with a corner before Dean Henderson made a fine reaction save to deny Luis Diaz.

Oliver Glasner's Palace retained a threat on the counter-attack until the break but were largely penned inside their own half in the second 45 minutes.

Henderson made another superb stop from Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota's close-range effort was blocked by Nathaniel Clyne with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen and Curtis Jones somehow sliced wide when put clean through.

Mateta did have another big chance to score the visitors' second from a rare Palace attack but Alisson made a remarkable save from point-blank range.

Liverpool kept pushing for an equaliser but could not find a way through, with Mohamed Salah's goalbound effort from inside the six-yard box blocked by Mitchell in stoppage time. The Reds are now left to reflect on a potentially decisive loss with just six games remaining in the league campaign.

Nightmare week leaves Reds' season on brink

Liverpool headed into last Sunday's match at Old Trafford two points clear at the top of the table and favourites to win the Europa League.

A week on and both trophies appear to be slipping out of their grasp.

If there has been a common theme across the three games in the past seven days, it has been the Reds' profligacy in front of goal.

At Manchester United and against Atalanta, they created countless chances and it was no different against Palace, especially in the second half.

Once more though they lacked the ruthlessness to make them count.

Even after a lacklustre first-half showing, Liverpool did more than enough to win the game but the crucial final touch deserted them.

With six league games and a Europa League quarter-final second leg still to play, all is not lost but if Liverpool are to deliver a fairytale ending to Klopp's time in charge, they will have to be perfect from here.

But even that may no longer be enough.

More to follow.

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