Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool: 5 Talking Points

Monday night's fixture saw goals from James Milner and Sadio Mane secure a professional win against a gritty Crystal Palace side. The win takes Liverpool to the second spot and they now trail Manchester City on goal difference.

Liverpool enjoyed most possession as Palace looked to hit the visitors on the counter with Palace defending in numbers, blocking all passing lanes which resulted in Liverpool unable to play their swashbuckling brand of football.

The game came into life in the 22nd minute after Keita's delightful lob found Salah one on one against Hennessey, only to see his attempt sail over the post. Palace got their first real chance after Townsend's wonderfully directed curler hit the crossbar with the rebound being blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool were awarded a penalty which was calmly dispatched by Milner on the cusp of half-time after Salah was brought down by Sakho.

Palace looked to restore parity but suffered a serious blow after Aaron Wan-Bissaka received his marching orders after denying Mo Salah a clear goal scoring opportunity. The Merseysiders sealed the win in the dying embers of the game after Mane rounded Hennessey for his side's second.

Here are the five talking points from the game at Selhurst Park.

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#1 Liverpool's solid defensive display helps them secure three points

Van Dijk put in another world-class performance

Liverpool have always been criticized for their sloppy defending which was mainly due to the absence of defensive organization and a recognised leader. Since the arrival of Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton and Alisson from Roma, the defence have put in assured performances.

Jurgen Klopp went in with an unchanged back four as Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk and Robertson retained their places. In Palace, they came up against a tricky, physical attack which consisted of Christian Benteke, Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha. Yet, they stuck to their tasks and got their second clean sheet of the season.

Zaha and Townsend troubled the full backs on certain occasions, with Gomez and Van Dijk tidying up with great poise. Virgil Van Dijk put in yet another top-notch performance as he marshalled Benteke so well, forcing Palace boss Roy Hodgson to haul him off in the 70th minute. The Dutchman finished the game with a pass accuracy rate of 92%, winning 8/11 duels and also making a key interception during the build-up to Liverpool's second goal.

Joe Gomez, Van Dijk's partner on the night, continued his fine form with yet another assured performance. The youngster was unperturbed by the presence of Zaha, Townsend and made some key interceptions, tackles in vital areas of the pitch. Gomez ended the game with a pass accuracy rate of 90% and his partnership with Van Dijk seems to get better with every passing game.

Meanwhile, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold initially had trouble dealing with the Palace wingers but held their ground as the game progressed. Alisson made some fine saves and commanded the box really well.

#2 Unlucky Palace continue their improvement under Hodgson

It was a frustrating night for The Eagles

The early stages of last season saw Palace reeling at the bottom of the table after losing their first six games, which eventually led to the sacking of Frank De Boer. Credit must be given to Hodgson for giving them the boost which saw The Eagles finish 11th after a disastrous start.

This time around, Palace opened their account in the opening weekend with a 2-0 win over Fulham but were left frustrated after Monday night's clash against Liverpool at Selhurst Park. Palace displayed some really good organization with their midfield, comprising of Milivojevic, McArthur and Schlupp blocking all passing lanes which left the likes of Keita, Wijnaldum with less space to operate.

Palace's defence put in a noteworthy performance against Liverpool's revered front three with Mamadou Sakho impressing his former employees with a resolute defensive display alongside James Tomkins. The full backs, Van Aanholt and Wan-Bissaka were equally proficient in attack and defence although the latter was sent off after denying Salah a clear goal scoring opportunity.

Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend displayed some neat footwork and got into some really dangerous positions behind the Liverpool defence. They looked to take the game to Liverpool although their team was 0-1 down, which shows the mentality that Hodgson has instilled in the side. The only disappointing player for Palace was Christian Benteke who was let down by his decision making and was well marshalled by Van Dijk and Gomez.

Overall, Palace were unlucky on several occasions but can take some positives from their brave display against Liverpool.

#3 Alisson makes a positive impact on his second league start for The Reds

Alisson showed why Klopp splashed the cash for his services.

Similar to Van Dijk's arrival, the arrival of Alisson has had a soothing impact on Liverpool's defence. The Brazilian looked fearless and commanded the box really well.

Alisson was called into action in the 54th minute, smartly saving Milivojevic's well struck free kick. He was again called into action in the 56th minute and got down low to save Benteke's towering header. The former Roma keeper came of his line when needed and formed a great understanding with his defence.

Liverpool's number 13 ended the game making 2 crucial saves to deny Palace from finding a route back in the game. The Brazilian completed 21 of his 23 attempted passes and successfully executed 9 out of 11 long balls, which highlights his excellent distribution.

In what was an all rounded performance, Alisson showed why he is worth such a substantial fee as he put in a performance that exuded confidence and class.

#4 Perseverance and proper game management pays off for Liverpool

Salah played an important part in both the goals.

Generally known for their intense playing style, Liverpool displayed another side of their game as their systematic approach helped them secure the second win of their season, making it six points from a possible six.

The visitors enjoyed most of the possession in the first half but were stopped by a well organized Palace side. Liverpool's attack was forced to attack from the wings as Palace crowded out the central areas of the pitch. This resulted in them unable to create any clear cut chances but were rewarded for their relentless pursuit of the opening goal as they were awarded a penalty which was calmly slotted by Milner.

Liverpool shifted through the gears seamlessly as they successfully fended off the attacks of Palace. The defence put in a dominant performance that saw Gomez and Van Dijk not allow Benteke to dominate them aerially. The defence, helped by the midfield, positioned themselves in such a way that offered no route back for the home side.

The Reds waited for their opportunity to seal the game which came in the 90th minute after Palace pushed more men forward which resulted in Salah and Mane break with pace in the build up for Liverpool's second after Van Dijk won his aerial duel against Tomkins.

Liverpool will need this type of game management if they are to challenge City for the title.

#5 Palace pay the price for not taking their chances and committing silly errors

Van Aanholt going up against Sadio Mane

Crystal Palace learn a harsh lesson as they succumb to their first league defeat of the season. The hosts started the game in a disciplined manner, crowding out the central areas and snuffing out Liverpool's advance.

Everything seemed to be going according to Hodgson's plan until the 45th minute when Mamadou Sakho marked Salah tightly and brought him down inside the penalty box. Liverpool took the lead after Jamer Milner converted from the resulting penalty.

The second half saw Palace unable to take their chances as Milivojevic's free kick was outstandingly saved by Alisson and Benteke's header failing to cause many problems for the Brazilian in goal. Some of the host's attacks were promising but lacked the final pass or the final finish to complete the move.

Palace committed another grave error towards the end of the second half as they committed most men forward, leaving the likes of Mane and Salah to counter which resulted in Liverpool scoring their second goal.