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The league leaders, Liverpool, travelled to Selhurst Park to face a strong and stubborn Crystal Palace side but came out on top through a late Roberto Firmino winner in an intriguing Premier League game. The Reds took the lead four minutes into the second half through a scuffed Sadio Mane shot that ricocheted against both posts before going in. The Eagles troubled Liverpool throughout the first half and then continued to do so in the second. Their hard work paid off when Wilfred Zaha struck the ball past Alisson in the 82nd minute after some good work in the box by Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend. It seemed that the Eagles had earned a deserved point but Jurgen Klopp's "mentality giants" didn't give up. Following a corner by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 85th minute, the Palace players failed to clear the ball, which eventually fell to Firmino, who struck a good low shot into the back of the nest.
However, the game wasn't as free-flowing as Liverpool fans are used to, with Roy Hodgson putting out a well-drilled defence which stifled the Liverpool front three. The Reds have given themselves a huge boost in the title race with this win and although there are lots of games ahead in the league, one can't help but think that the title is now Liverpool's to lose.
Here are some players who were a hit and some who flopped in the game at Selhurst Park.
Hit: Andros Townsend
Andros Townsend was lively throughout the game and looked to take advantage of an Andy Robertson just returning from injury. It was a determined and relentless effort from the winger who took some good shots from range. He was good on the ball and notched up a clever assist for Zaha's goal.
The only criticism of Townsend could be that he tried a few too many long-range efforts, but apart from that, it was a performance that both Townsend and Hodgson would be proud of. Klopp pointed out in his press conference that Townsend is one of the threats that Palace would pose and that is what it turned out to be.
Flop: Patrick van Aanholt
The Dutchman started well by putting some good pressure on Trent Alexander-Arnold to earn a corner. However, he was found wanting in defence on many occasions and let Sadio Mane and Alexander-Arnold more time on the ball that Hodgson would have liked. If the English right-back's crosses were as potent as always, Aanholt's defensive struggles could have been exposed.
He was also at fault for Firmino's goal, as he was one of the players who failed to clear the ball. His performance cannot be termed as a disaster, but he was arguably the worst Palace player on the pitch.
Hit: Virgil van Dijk
From one Dutchman flopping in the game to one who was an absolute colossus. Virgil van Dijk was a rock at the back and if not for him, Liverpool would have dropped points. It was a faultless performance from the No.4. He crunched into tackles, made good interceptions and clearances and won every aerial duel. He stamped his authority on the game when he out-muscled Jordan Ayew in the Liverpool box just when the forward looked to go through on goal.
He held the backline together with his leadership and even got the absolute best out of Dejan Lovren. He also regularly looked to start attacks with his trademark long passes. The Dutchman really showed why he is the best defender in the world with a solid performance in this game.
Flop: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The Englishman wasn't really a flop but similar to van Aanholt's case, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the least impressive Liverpool player. This was more due to the fact that he was asked to play in the front three, a position that he has never been comfortable in since his Arsenal days. He started on the left on the front three where he looked out of sorts, failing to make his mark on the game. He performed better after being shifted to the right wing but never looked like the Ox that we have seen in the past few games.
His strength lies in driving through the midfield and scoring long-range screamers. However, he could not do so from his position and was taken off in the 64th minute with Liverpool looking to secure their win.
Hit: Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane was switched to the right wing in the absence of Mohamed Salah and he was Liverpool’s brightest attacking spark yet again. He almost opened the scored twice, once from a Fabinho and once from a Henderson through ball. However, he made up for his miss when he fired Liverpool ahead with a little help from the goalposts.
He stretched the Palace defence all the time and is, at the moment, Liverpool's most indispensable player alongside van Dijk. In a drab game for Liverpool attackers, Mane was the shining light and looked to make things happen every time he was on the ball and bamboozled van Aanholt and James McArthur with a sublime piece of skill.
