Diogo Jota netted the only goal as Liverpool claimed a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace, securing top spot in the Premier League ahead of the international break. The Portuguese forward celebrated his 100th start for the club with a well-timed finish from Cody Gakpo’s pullback just nine minutes into the match.
Liverpool dominated possession throughout with Jota missing a golden opportunity to double the lead shortly after failing to connect properly with Ryan Gravenberch’s perfectly placed pass. The Reds continued to control the game in the second half. Still, both Jota and Mohamed Salah squandered further chances leading to a tense finish when goalkeeper Alisson exited with a hamstring injury late in the match.
Viteslav Jaros made his competitive debut in goal for Liverpool but Palace could not capitalize on the situation to level the score. The Eagles believed they deserved a penalty when Virgil van Dijk was penalized for a pull-on Marc Guehi but the appeal was dismissed.
With this result, Liverpool moves four points clear at the top of the table while Crystal Palace remains winless in seven matches and sits in the bottom three. Liverpool’s next fixture after the international break will be against Chelsea at Anfield while Palace will travel to Nottingham Forest.
