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Liverpool dismantled a hapless Crystal Palace side at Anfield earlier today and thrashed the London club by a margin of 4-0. The comprehensive victory sees Liverpool within touching distance of the club's first EPL title in thirty years.
Liverpool started the first half with the distinct sense of purpose that was lacking in the Merseyside derby stalemate last week. The likes of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane saw plenty of the ball as Liverpool threatened to open the scoring on numerous occasions.
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The deadlock was broken just before the cooling break as a stunning free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold opened the scoring for the Reds.
Liverpool nearly doubled its lead immediately after the cooling break with Jordan Henderson's strike smashing into the post after taking a deflection off Joel Ward. The Merseyside outfit continued to grow into the game and suffocated Crystal Palace.
Towards the end of the first half, Mohamed Salah left Patrick van Aanholt on the ground to latch on to a gem of a pass from Fabinho and score his 17th goal of the season.
Liverpool maintained its stranglehold over a struggling Crystal Palace side in the second half and always looked like adding to the side's goal tally. Fabinho picked up the ball in midfield after the hour-mark and unleashed a stunning shot to score Liverpool's third goal.
Liverpool monopolized the possession with Wijnaldum and Henderson in midfield but also threatened on the counter. An excellent first-time pass from Mohamed Salah released Sadio Mane on the left flank and resulted in yet another goal for Liverpool.
The stunning victory means that Liverpool is only a single game away from the coveted EPL title. Here, we look at five important takeaways from the match.
#1 Fabinho is undroppable in Liverpool's midfield
Fabinho was the beating heart of Liverpool against a usually plucky Crystal Palace side. The Brazilian maestro ran the show in midfield and put in one of the most complete performances you will ever see from a midfielder.
Fabinho was as tenacious as he was creative in Liverpool's midfield. The Brazilian hounded Jordan Ayew and Max Meyer and nullified Crystal Palace's attacking potency. Fabinho also played a beautiful lobbed pass to Mohamed Salah to double Liverpool's lead in the first half.
The Brazilian midfielder's crowning moment, however, came well into the second half. Crystal Palace made the mistake of affording Fabinho time on the ball and the midfielder unleashed an absolute thunderbolt that rocketed into Wayne Hennessey's goal. The midfielder's performance today will ensure his place in Liverpool's starting eleven for years to come.
#2 Crystal Palace struggles against Klopp's Gegenpress
Crystal Palace has done a decent job so far this season. Roy Hodgson's appointment earlier this season was dismissed as a mistake and the Londoners looked to be headed straight into a train's headlights. It must be said that Crystal Palace has done well to show its critics the door this season.
Tonight, however, Roy Hodgson's side barely got a sniff of the ball. The London club was suffocated by Liverpool's high press and the opposition's sheer pace left the likes of Andros Townsend and James McCarthy gasping for air.
Jurgen Klopp's mentality monsters never looked like they would be overwhelmed on their return to Anfield and displayed the best versions of themselves. It is likely that under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool will be a force to reckon with for the next few years.
#3 Reunited Liverpool front three mince Crystal Palace defence
Liverpool's attacking trident is arguably the best in the world. The Merseyside club was unable to field Mohamed Salah against Everton but reunited the three musketeers against Crystal Palace today and the results were devastating.
With Roberto Firmino pressing Crystal Palace into making several mistakes high up the pitch, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah destroyed the opposition's full-backs with their sheer pace and dribbling prowess. Salah left Patrick van Aanholt red-faced with his goal in the first half and looked as threatening as ever.
Sadio Mane also had an excellent game and used his electric speed to torment Joel Ward on Liverpool's left flank. The Senegalese forward got himself on the scoresheet thanks to an excellent pass from Mohamed Salah and rounded off a sensational night for Liverpool.
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#4 Zaha's injury and Ayew's struggles leave Crystal Palace toothless
Crystal Palace has been in red hot form in the past few fixtures. Before today's debacle against Liverpool, the South London club won their last four EPL matches on the trot with Jordan Ayew frequently being the star of the show.
Today, however, Roy Hodgson's side did not cause a single ripple in the attacking half of the pitch. The fact that Crystal Palace did not have a single touch of the ball in Liverpool's penalty area tells you all you need to know about the visitors' performance today.
Jordan Ayew, in particular, bore the brunt of Liverpool's midfield brilliance. The Crystal Palace striker was isolated and struggled to have a meaningful impact away. His partner-in-crime Wilfried Zaha was injured 15 minutes into the match and the side missed the English winger's presence on the pitch.
#5 Liverpool's superstars back to their dizzying best
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled with his side's performance today. Liverpool was uninspiring at best in the Merseyside derby against Everton and looked like a shadow of its former self in its first match after the EPL restart.
The ruthlessness and sense of urgency shown by Liverpool's enigmatic group of players today will convince Jurgen Klopp that his squad is made of pure steel. Trent Alexander-Arnold's credentials were questioned after the game against Everton but the young right-back bounced back with a sensational free-kick today and put in a brilliant performance.
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are on course to make history and may well break several records in this historic season. The Merseyside club's brilliant performance today is yet another addition to a massive pile of evidence that suggests that Liverpool thoroughly deserve this EPL title.
