Jurgen Klopp’s exhausted side looked as if they were playing on fumes. Nine of them had played a gruelling League Cup semifinal against Arsenal on Thursday night.
Two nights’ sleep, some ice packs, some light training and then back on the bus. Crystal Palace were 2-1 down but well on top. Chances came and went.
But Liverpool held on. With a full 18 days until their next league fixture, they gave it one last push and even managed to burgle a third goal, a richly undeserved penalty converted by Fabinho to give them a little breathing space. Now they can rest up a little, recharge their batteries, welcome back Mo Salah and Sadio Mané from international duty. In the meantime there is still just about a title race.
Liverpool were scrappy but decisive when it mattered. Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got the two crucial first-half goals. Jordan Henderson was magnificent in midfield. Curtis Jones never stopped. Trent Alexander-Arnold was beginning to puffeven before the end of the first half but in the dying minutes somehow still managed to produce the pass of the match, a devastating 60-yard diagonal ball from which Diogo Jota won the late penalty.
As for Palace, it was a familiar story: a nice performance, hampered by their irritating habit of finding themselves 2-0 down after half an hour.
This story is from the January 24, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 24, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tourism Surfer killings highlight Mexico's violent undercurrents
The killings of the Australian brothers Callum and Jake T Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad have highlighted the shifting and uncertain fault lines of risk in Mexico, which is simultaneously a major tourism destination and a country with hotspots of extraordinary violence.
Thousands of people displaced as floods cause chaos in Kenya
Kenya is grappling with floods that have killed 257 people across the east African nation, after weeks of torrential rainfall scientists have linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Deepfake scam targets CEO of world's biggest ad firm
The head of the world's biggest advertising group was the target of an elaborate deepfake scam involving an artificial intelligence voice clone.
Lurid and gripping Daniels' testimony humiliated Trump.Will it turn voters off?
Stormy Daniels may have regarded sex with Donald Trump as brief, unimaginative and regrettable but the adult film star has gripped the US with a salacious and lengthy retelling of the encounter to a New York court this week.
No Ken do Blunt, stunts and Gosling: how did The Fall Guy flop?
On paper, it couldn't fail.
"Today we flee again' Palestinians seek safety from strikes on Rafah
Under a blazing summer sun, tens of thousands of Palestinians fled Israeli bombardment and clashes with Hamas militants in Rafah yesterday, choking roads with carts, bicycles, pickup trucks and wheelchairs.
Tunnels of love Project allows endangered adders to cross road to breed
How did the adder cross the road? It didn't it was too scared.
Style, but no substance? Dismay as Met Gala loses political edge
As pro-Palestinian protests unfolded blocks away, the Met Gala, which took place in New York on Monday evening, unfolded devoid of political statement.
Labour Is Starmer pushing party base too far?
Two days after defecting to Labour, the former Conservative Natalie Elphicke stood in front of a pure red backdrop as she introduced Keir Starmer in her Dover constituency - on the frontline of the battle over stopping small boat crossings.
Elphicke Call for party to become 'less tribal'
Labour should be \"less tribal\" and open to \"reasonably minded people, whichever way they voted in the past\", Keir Starmer said yesterday.