Crystal Palace vs Liverpool LIVE: Score, Reds profit from controversial VAR decision

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-1 LIVERPOOL | MANE (48)

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, McArthur, Kouyate, Zaha, Townsend, Ayew

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Firmino, Mane

• VAR disallows James Tomkins opener for a push on Dejan Lovren

• Sadio Mane controls the ball, turns and smashes in to put the visitors in front

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-1 LIVERPOOL

54: That was Liverpool’s first shot on target today. Clinical I suppose. Anyway, Fabinho is booked for clipping the ankles of Kouyate. Luka Milivojevic takes one on and fizzes it wide of the target.

51: Crystal Palace seemingly unaffected by that opener. Andros Townsend shoots from distance and his swerving effort is tipped over by Alisson for a corner. The Reds manage to clear the resulting set-piece.

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-1 LIVERPOOL | MANE

48: GOAL! Liverpool are ahead thanks to Sadio Mane!

Andrew Robertson’s cross drifts through a crowd of players and falls to the winger around eight-yards from goal. His deflected effort it tipped onto the post by Guaita, rolls across the line and bounces in off the other post.

47: The Eagles pick up from where they left off – on the attack. It’s a long ball out to the right and Dejan Lovren does well to intercept Andros Townsend’s cross. The Eagles have themselves a corner… cleared easily.

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-0 LIVERPOOL

45: And we’re back underway folks. No changes for either side but I’d expect to see Mohamed Salah at some point – providing his injury isn’t that severe of course.

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-0 LIVERPOOL

HT: Jurgen Klopp breathes a sigh of relief. Liverpool get away with one there.

“Why don’t we just give Liverpool the title now?” says Paul Merson in the Sky Sports studio.

44: Disallowed! Right… always good to know what we’ll have to talk about for the next seven days…

Defender James Tomkins thought he had put Crystal Palace ahead when converting from a corner but Liverpool protest and the VAR checks the build up.

Ayew does give Dejan Lovren a nudge in the back inside the penalty area but the incident had absolutely nothing to do with the eventual goal. There’s no way the Croatian would have got to the ball. Anyway, we remain goalless.

42: Chance! And a very good chance at that. Virgil van Dijk gets up well to glance a corner across goal but Guaita JUST gets in ahead of the arriving Roberto Firmino.

39: “Crystal Palace have been very good. They’ve been outstanding. Liverpool are struggling. If I’m honest, Palace are the better team. Liverpool need to pick their game up,” says Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday. Hard to argue with that in all honesty.

36: The Eagles are so quick to get back in position. There’s at least nine red and blue shirts behind the ball when Liverpool attack and they’re struggling to find a way through.

33: It’s all-square between Arsenal and Southampton now. Alexandre Lacazette with the equaliser. Wolves are 2-0 up against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. It’s goalless in the other four Premier League fixtures.

30: Close! James McArthur receives the ball over on the right and takes it to the byline. He scoops it inside aiming for Cheikhou Kouyate, who fails to improvise a finish at the near post.

27: Woodwork! Luke Milivojevic’s free-kick loops over to Gary Cahill, who nods it high against the crossbar. Liverpool respond with a move of their own and win a corner but Guaita strides out to punch it clear.

24: Still Crystal Palace bossing proceedings. Luka Millivojevic takes another corner, their fourth, and Andrew Robertson arrives to head it clear. Liverpool haven’t really showed up yet – it’s just Sadio Mane trying to do it all by himself.

21: Should be 1-0… to Crystal Palace! Trent, who’s having a shocker, gifts the ball to Townsend. He lays it over to Kouyate and the midfield serves it on a plate for Ayew. The striker beats the offside trap and strokes it wide with the outside of the right boot.

18: Again Andros Townsend wins a corner for his side. He looks right up for this today – and that’s usually a bad sign for his opponents. I think we all remember the scorcher he scored against Manchester City last year.

15: The Eagles just starting to work their way into things now. They’re having joy down that right side with Andros Townsend giving Andrew Robertson the run around. Milivojevic fires from distance but it’s a simple enough save from Alisson.

13: Elsewhere in London, Southampton have taken the lead against Arsenal through Danny Ings. Some awful defending from Unai Emery’s side.

10: Nerves? Trent Alexander-Arnold looks to play the ball back to Alisson but he’s walloped it behind for a corner to the Eagles. Strange. Anyway, Dejan Lovren rises highest in the six-yard box to clear it upfield.

8: Corner to Liverpool. Trent Alexander-Arnold trots over to take it but it fails to beat Kouyate at the near post. Just witnessed several terrible set-piece deliveries from Harry Winks at the London Stadium today – It’s an epidemic!

5: No surprise in the pattern of play. Liverpool are dominating the ball with Crystal Palace happy to absorb pressure and hit them on the counter. I mean, it’s worked pretty effectively for Roy Hodgson’s side this season.

3: It’s a dark and dingy afternoon in south London. The floodlights are on and the stadium is packed to the rafters with bouncing Crystal Palace supporters. Should be a very interesting day for Jurgen Klopp – the kind of day when titles are won.

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-0 LIVERPOOL

1: And we’re off at Selhurst Park! Sorry for the lack of build-up to this one – I’ve been busy covering Jose Mourinho’s return to management at the London Stadium. They beat West Ham 3-2 but didn’t look overly convincing toward the end.

Anyway, Mohamed Salah is on the bench today. So that leaves Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the left of a front three with Roberto Firmino up front and Sadio Mane on the right.

The line ups…

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, McArthur, Kouyate, Zaha, Townsend, Ayew.

Subs: Hennessey, Dann, Meyer, Schlupp, Benteke, McCarthy, Kelly.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Firmino, Mane.

Subs: Adrian, Milner, Keita, Salah, Gomez, Lallana, Origi.

Live updates for this match will start after the conclusion of West Ham vs Tottenham at the London Stadium.

CRYSTAL PALACE vs LIVERPOOL – TEAM NEWS

Crystal Palace again have no injury concerns.

Wilfried Zaha is in contention despite previously reporting a foot injury.

Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson both face late checks on ankle injuries that saw them sit out their respective national team games this week.

Xherdan Shaqiri (calf) is fit but Joel Matip (knee) will probably sit out again.

Last season: Liverpool 4 Crystal Palace 3, Crystal Palace 0 Liverpool 2

Last five league matches: Crystal Palace W L D L L; Liverpool W D W W W

Top scorers (all competitions): Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) 4; Sadio Mane (Liverpool) 11

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)