By: Shane Brennan
Liverpool were in South East London on Saturday night as they faced a struggling Crystal Palace looking to bounce back from a humbling Champions League night!
However, the Reds were far from resurgent as it ended in a scoreless and pretty uneventful draw!
Here is how I rated the players as they managed to gain another point in their bid for a top-four finish…
Alisson Becker 8 – Firm handling of the ball throughout, solid distribution and another Premier League clean sheet on a relatively quiet night for the brilliant Brazilian.
James Milner 7 – A very steady performance having been brought back into the midfield, had a real calming influence on his side, didn’t panic at all when Palace put the pressure on, decent display overall.
Trent Alexander-Arnold 5 – Seemed off it early on when his usually reliable switch to Andy Robbo was miles misplaced. Gifted the hosts two fantastic chances when he wanted too long in possession. Could have given The Reds the lead from a free kick, only for Jordan Henderson to inadvertently block the effort!
Naby Keita 1 – Shocking performance unfortunately, lucky not to get himself sent off, didn’t give the display needed to drive Liverpool forward and was replaced at halftime.
Jordan Henderson 5 – He was steady enough in the middle of the park but failed to leave a lasting imprint in an attacking sense, an impressive block to deny Alexander-Arnold…
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Mohamed Salah 6 – Rattled a shot against the woodwork and had a few other half-chances to give his side the lead. He was very unlucky, it just wasn’t his day.
Cody Gakpo 6 – Another step in the right direction in his early career for the Reds. Drove into space with purpose when he could. Squandered perhaps the clearest opportunity to give Jurgen Klopp’s side all three points at Selhurst Park.
Diogo Jota 4 – Struggled and looked like a forward with very little game time under his belt – understandably. Hit the post from a header at an impossible angle. Still great to see him get more time on the pitch, Liverpool need him to find his best form as they attempt to finish in a Champions League spot.
Joel Matip 4 – A few nervy moments at the back when he and Alexander-Arnold were playing ‘pass the mistake’! Quiet enough night, which is perhaps for the best.
Virgil van Dijk 5 – Solid enough, seemed quite angry at those around him, he hadn’t really much to do overall, but after conceding five against Real Madrid, the Dutch defender led his side to a clean sheet.
Andy Robertson 4 – Not involved going forward as much as usual, had a bit of an off day really!!
Subs
Harvey Elliott 6 – Added some much-needed impetus for a brief spell when he first came on but faded out of proceedings.
Fabinho 5 – Another cameo from the bench that saw the Brazilian carded. Still not at it!
Roberto Firmino 5 – Held the ball up well as we’ve come to expect during his time on the field. Unable to find the cutting edge that the Reds so desperately needed.
Stefan Bajcetic N/A –Not able to have any impact but more invaluable experience for the talented youngster.
Conclusion:
It’s very simple, Liverpool just need to keep picking up points between now and the end of the season and hope that the teams around them don’t! Albeit far from a swashbuckling display from the Reds, at least we didn’t leak any goals after the total collapse in Europe in Mid-week!
Perhaps a step in the right direction and it’s crucial that Liverpool follow up this result with a win when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Anfield on Wednesday night.
