Klopp jumps to the top
Liverpool FC turns game in wild finale
December 9, 2023, 4:16 p.m
A strange game brings Liverpool FC to the top of the Premier League, at least for the time being. Jürgen Klopp’s team is a long way behind against outsiders Crystal Palace, and at the end of an eternal injury time there is a hard-fought victory.
Harvey Elliott gave Liverpool FC at least a temporary lead in the Premier League with a last-minute goal. The midfielder scored in the first minute of added time and secured coach Jürgen Klopp’s team a 2-1 (0-0) win at Crystal Palace in London. Previously, star striker Mohamed Salah (76th) equalized for Liverpool with his 200th goal in the Reds’ dress and at the same time his 150th goal in the Premier League.
“I’m a very happy coach at this moment, but I also know that we were lucky,” said a relieved Klopp after the hard-fought victory. “If you only win your really good games you have no chance of being really successful, that’s how it is, and today obviously it wasn’t a really good game from us. It was a really bad performance for 76 minutes.”
Former Mainz Bundesliga player Jean-Philippe Mateta took the lead for 15th in the table with a penalty kick in the 57th minute. Crystal Palace scored. Shortly before Salah’s equalizer, London’s Jordan Ayew had to leave the field with a yellow-red card (75′). A few minutes later, before the Reds’ winning goal, Palace keeper Sam Johnstone had to leave the field injured. In the last minute of added time, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson had to intervene again and block a shot from Joachim Andersen to secure the hard-fought point. Alisson had only returned to Liverpool FC’s goal for the game after a short injury break.
As the data service provider Opta calculated, Liverpool FC scored the winning goal against Crystal Palace in the 90th minute or later in a Premier League encounter for the 43rd time – more often than any other club. With their eleventh win of the season, Liverpool pushed Arsenal FC out of first place in the English football championship. Due to a 0-1 defeat in the top game at third-placed Aston Villa, the Londoners fell back to second place.