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Liverpool's inconsistent run of form continued as they struggled to a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, February 25.
Liverpool came into the game on a mixed run of form, having won their last two Premier League games but falling to a 5-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Manager Jurgen Klopp made four changes to that side as Diogo Jota made his first start since October. Jota and Joel Matip replaced the injured duo of Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez, while James Milner and Naby Keita came in for Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic.
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Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have been winless in their last five games. They are firmly entrenched in mid-table. Manager Patrick Vieira named an unchanged lineup from the one that drew with Brentford last week.
Liverpool dominated possession early, controlling the ball for long spells. However, there was a scary moment when a mistake by Trent Alexander-Arnold sent Jean-Philippe Mateta through, but Alisson made a fingertip stop to prevent a Palace lead.
The Eagles had another chance when Michael Olise sent in a great cross off a free-kick, only for Marc Guehi to send his header narrowly wide.
Liverpool continued to hold much of the ball but were unable to create good chances. They received a free-kick close to the edge of the box but Alexander-Arnold could only hit his own teammate Jordan Henderson.
Palace continued to grow into the game, posing a regular threat to the Liverpool goal. They had the best chance of the half when Jeffrey Schlupp robbed Alexander-Arnold close to the Reds' box and whipped in a low cross for Mateta, but the Frenchman could only hit the bar from close range.
The first half ended 0-0, but both sides had opportunities to score. Palace looked the more threatening of the two sides, with Matip having a particularly tough half.
Liverpool started the second half brightly and had a great moment when Mohammad Salah's shot bounced back off the crossbar.
The Merseyside club had another chance when Alexander-Arnold's cross caused multiple Palace players to fall to the ground. The rebound fell to Matip, whose volley forced a good save from Vicente Guaita.
The game continued to be an end-to-end affair, with both teams pushing hard to score the opening goal. Both managers looked to the bench for a spark, with Klopp bringing on Roberto Firmino for Diogo Jota and Vieira bringing on Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze.
Liverpool spurned another chance when Salah's brilliant through ball found Cody Gakpo one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he could only drag his shot wide.
The game turned feisty towards the end, with a flurry of late yellow cards. However, Klopp's men did not get the result they wanted as the game ended 0-0.
The draw meant Liverpool temporarily climbed above Brighton and Hove Albion to seventh in the Premier League table. Here are five talking points from the game.
#5 Crystal Palace's troubles in front of goal continue
Crystal Palace have had a tough time putting the ball in the back of the net this season. Their total of 21 goals is the fourth-worst in the Premier League. That has been a key reason behind their inability to convert draws to wins.
Their lack of finishing, especially without their talisman Wilfried Zaha, was clearly visible today, with Jean-Philippe Mateta squandering a beautiful chance. The Eagles might not be in a relegation battle, but they need to fix their attacking issues quickly.
#4 Michael Olise had a great game
Palace's No. 7 proved his quality against a big opponent. He was deployed on the right side of a 4-2-3-1 by manager Patrick Vieira but had the license to roam around and find space.
He caused a lot of havoc with his incisive runs and posed a regular threat with his deliveries into the box. He finished the game with two key passes, five completed dribbles, and two accurate crosses.
#3 Klopp's substitutions left a lot to desire
Jurgen Klopp had some puzzling substitutions that eventually proved detrimental to Liverpool's chances of winning the game. The first was when he removed Cody Gakpo to bring on Stefan Bajcetic in the 81st minute.
Bringing a midfielder on for an attacker while the team was searching for a winner seemed like a counter-productive move.
Further, his decision to keep Jordan Henderson on the pitch for the full 90 minutes despite the midfielder having a tough game did not help the team either.
#2 Liverpool need a massive upgrade in midfield
This game provided more evidence for the fact that Liverpool will have to complete a revamp of the midfield in the coming summer.
Klopp decided to start Henderson, Keita, and Milner in the middle of the park, but the trio were largely ineffective throughout the game.
The emergence of teenager Stefan Bajcetic has been a big positive for the side, but they will certainly have to make some moves in the next transfer window.
#1 Liverpool lose ground in the race for the top four
It looked like Liverpool had turned the tide on their poor season with back-to-back wins against Everton and Newcastle United.
The Reds looked poised to make a late run for one of the top four spots, and with players like Virgil van Dijk and Diogo Jota coming back from injuries, there was optimism among fans for Champions League football next season.
However, they hit a bump in the road with a timid display against Crystal Palace. They created a few chances but were on the back foot for sizeable portions of the game.
