Andy Hunter’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight.
James Milner’s reaction
“Disappointing. We started pretty well then lost our way a bit in the middle. At least we’re creating chances – if you’re not creating anything it’s a bigger problem. But it’s not the ideal start to the season.
“The reaction when we went down to 10 men was very, very good. The crowd helped us as well and [Luis Diaz] scored an incredible goal. I didn’t see the incident [when Nunez was sent off]. We’ll rally round him and I’m sure he’ll learn from it. The most important thing was the reaction.”
“In my view, Andersen should have been yellow-carded twice: once for the push and then immediately for simulation,” says Paul Bowes. “Red for both would have been fairer.”
He was headbutted in the face!
“Every defender in the PL,” says Chris Barker, “is now going to try winding up Nunez.”
I suspect he’ll be fine, and that he’s learned an unpleasant lesson tonight. Or he’ll run amok all season, scoring 34 goals in all competitions despite receiving seven red cards, all for headbutts.
It could have been worse for Liverpool. They were 1-0 down when Darwin Nunez stuck the head on Joachim Andersen, but Luis Diaz’s wonderful individual goal earned them a point. Both teams had chances to win it during a desperate finale. Palace were really good: disciplined, controlled and menacing on the break – particularly when Eze and Zaha aligned, as they did for Zaha’s superb opening goal.
Updated
Full time: Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace
Peep peep! More frustration for Liverpool, but that’s an excellent night’s work from Palace.
90+5 min Play resumes.
90+5 min Now there’s a fan on the pitch, so play has been stopped.
90+4 min: Chance for Andersen! Olise’s corner is headed down by Richards and lofted over on the stretch by Andersen. It wasn’t a clear chance, but it was a chance.
90+4 min The confident Olise wins a corner for Palace…
90+4 min Palace are killing time pretty effectively. Ninety seconds to go.
90+3 min Actually it was Tsimikas who was booked for dissent, not Carvalho.
90+2 min Carvalho is booked for an overzealous tackle on Olise, which allows Palace to waste another 30 seconds.
90+1 min Five minutes of added time. Guaita is booked for timewasting.
90 min Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick is headed back to the edge of the area by Fabinho. Fabio Carvalho runs round the ball and swishes a left-foot volley that goes this far wide. Guaita didn’t move.
90 min Ward is penalised for grappling with Diaz 45 yards from goal. Liverpool send the big men forward for the free-kick…
89 min “As a United fan,” says David Flynn, “if you’d told me we’d be only two points behind Liverpool at this stage of the season I’d have taken your hand off.”
Imagine if they win next week. No, me either.
Updated
88 min Edouard is booked for something or other.
88 min “Right,” says Matt Dony. “As long as Liverpool do the double over City, it’s ok.”
Norwich went down mate rofl.
Updated
88 min A change for Palace: Michael Olise comes on for the impressive Jeff Schlupp.
87 min: Just wide from Salah! That was a lovely effort. Tsimikas’s cross hit a defender and was headed away to the edge of the area by Ward. Salah backpedalled into the D, cushioned the dropping ball and slapped it just wide of the near post on the bounce.
85 min A quiet period, with Liverpool struggling to generate any attacking momentum. Yet.
83 min Diaz’s goal gets better every time you see it.
"That is absolutely SENSATIONAL from Diaz!" 🔥
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
10-man Liverpool are level and what a stunning goal that is from the Colombian! 😮 pic.twitter.com/PtOz7v6tdO
And Nunez’s headbutt gets funnier/weirder with each viewing.
A moment of madness from Darwin Núñez and he's shown a straight red card! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YAErzuuUKq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
82 min “Although Liverpool have been dominant for most of this match, I still think they are playing even better now that they are a man down,” writes Shoaib. “Instead of Palace making their advantage count and pressing Liverpool, it is the latter who have been outstanding both with and without the ball. Palace need to be reminded that it’s them who have the extra man on field.”
Palace look pretty tired, though they are still creating opportunities on the break.
81 min Schlupp curls an excellent pass out to Edouard on the right. He slides a low cross into the area for Zaha, whose heavy first touch allows van Dijk to clear. That was another decent chance for Palace.
79 min Three changes for Palace: Chris Richards, Luka Milivojevic and Will Hughes replace Mitchell, the superb Eze and Doucoure. Liverpool bring on Fabio Carvalho for Elliott.
78 min: Great chance for Zaha! Edouard, on the right edge of the area, curled over a superb cross that was volleyed wide on the stretch by Zaha at the far post. He was only a few yards out, but he went with his right foot when the left would have been more natural.
Updated
75 min Tsimikas’s corner is headed away and Palace break three on three. Diaz charges after the man in possession, Zaha, and makes a vital tackle in the centre circle. Diaz has been on one in the second half.
75 min Liverpool continue to dominate possession, as they have all night really. Salah wriggles away from Mitchell, who recovers well to concede a corner…
73 min “You hope for Liverpool’s sake that the red card doesn’t hurt Nunez’s career too much but he has seemed very off the pace today,” says Dechlan Brennan. “His headbutt was the cleanest contact he made all night.”
I think there will always be games when Andy Carroll is trending; Nunez is that sort of player. But if he learns to stop putting the head on people I’d still fancy him to score 30 goals this season. His movement and aggression mean he’ll always get plenty of chances, certainly in this team.
72 min “Everyone remembers Ibrahimovic’s taekwondo goals,” says Phil Podolsky, “but there was one taekwondo pass at Barca that makes me snigger every time.”
71 min Alexander-Arnold misses a decent chance, splashing wide from a tight angle after a clever flick from Salah. Actually, I don’t think it would have counted – replays suggests he was fractionally offside.
69 min Nunez had actually thrown his head backwards towards Andersen’s face a few moments earlier, which is why Andersen pushed him in the back. All very strange.
68 min Ward is booked for a foul on the increasingly influential Diaz, who has come alive since we criticised him at half-time.
67 min “I know Andersen went down like a felled tree but what was Nunez thinking?” says Rachel Clifton. “Let alone arguing the score with the referee. Total red mist.”
I’ve definitely seen more proportionate reactions to a push in the back. That said, while GNM does not condone etc, I quite enjoyed how emphatic it was. He didn’t bother trying to disguise it, just sent Andersen straight to the canvas. In that respect it was like Zidane on Materazzi.
65 min Liverpool are now playing a 4-3-2, with Salah and Diaz up front. At the moment they look the likelier winners, even with 10 men.
64 min “Rob,” writes Vincent, “I don’t think that was what Klopp had in mind when he told Nunez at half-time to use his head!”
63 min Palace bring on Odsonne Edouard for Jordan Ayew.
63 min A triple change for Liverpool: Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas replace Nat Phillips, Andy Robertson and James Milner.
This is a glorious equaliser! Diaz cut inside from the left, beating five players with a combination of dummies and quick feet, before flashing a curler past Guaita from the edge of the D.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace (Diaz 61)
What a goal from Luis Diaz!
Updated
61 min Nunez will also be banned for the next three games. Anfield has gone very quiet, and Liverpool are just getting their bearings. It looks like substitutions are imminent as well.
59 min Andersen was booked for the push on Nunez as well. That was such a peculiar overreaction from Nunez. I’m sure he was frustrated after missing three good-to-excellent chances earlier in the game, but that’s no reason to start handing out the Glasgow kisses.
Updated
58 min Nunez is arguing his case but it was a clear headbutt. Andersen pushed him in the back, complaining about something, at which point Nunez spun round and stuck the head on him!
NUNEZ SENT OFF!
57 min Oh my goodness! Darwin Nunez has been given a straight red card for headbutting Joachim Andersen!
Updated
57 min Liverpool’s injuries mean they don’t have their usual attacking options on the bench, though they can still call on Jordan Henderson, Fabio Carvalho and Naby Keita.
56 min Van Dijk makes an important interception to stop Zaha playing a return pass to Eze in the Liverpool area.
53 min There’s a spring in Palace’s step when they break, which wasn’t there before Zaha’s goal. It has developed into a fascinating game.
51 min “Zlatan also has the ability to do things on the football pitch where I don’t really understand what I’ve seen, where my only reaction is just to laugh with joy,” says Kári Tulinius. “There are precious few footballers like that, who seem like they can move themselves and the ball through unknown dimensions of space and time.”
I’m still trying to make sense of that ankle-busting flick against Italy at Euro 2004, never mind everything he’s done since. For years I thought (wrongly) that it was a backheel.
49 min The chance came after an excellent through pass from Salah. Nunez’s left-footed shot seemed to be going off target but then it hit the sliding Ward. Replays show it hit hum under the armpit, and he was only a couple of yards away from Nunez.
Updated
48 min Liverpool have a big appeal for a penalty when Nunez’s errant shot hits a Palace defender. Nothing given on the field but it’ll be checked by VAR.
Updated
46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half, and there are no changes to either side.
“Did someone told Díaz not to dribble?” asks Alexander Quintero. “I bet someone did. He’s not taking opponents just giving the ball backwards. No risk no win. Kudos to Crystal Palace. Excellent execution of their plan so far. I say this as a Liverpool fan.”
I have a vague and barely half-arsed theory about Diaz that he is much better in big games than smaller ones.
Here’s that chance for Nunez (and van Dijk)
𝐇𝐎𝐖 did that stay out?! 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/3MeqGqYdFw
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
“Nunez is going to be an outstanding PL striker,” says Mary Waltz. “But Zlatan, from age 19, had the look of someone who thought they were simply the greatest ever and had no problem telling you the facts of life.”
Half time: Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace
This is an absurd thing to say in mid-August, arguably a sackable offence, but Liverpool have a big 45 minutes coming up. If they lose they will already be five points behind Manchester City, and that’s never a good place for anyone to be.
Liverpool started well, with their usual intensity, but missed a few decent chances and were punished by Wilfred Zaha’s excellent counter-attacking goal. The place went a bit flat after that, though Darwin Nunez hit the post with the last attack of the half.
45+3 min: Nunez hits the post! The corner was half-cleared to Elliott, who clipped a fine pass over the defence to find Nunez. He took it down on the chest but then mishit a shot that looped over Guaita and hit the inside of the far post!
The loose ball eventually ran to van Dijk, who slipped in the act of shooting and kicked it against his standing leg.
Updated
45+3 min Alexander-Arnold sweeps a beautiful through pass inside Mitchell towards Salah, forcing Guehi to come across and concede the corner. Excellent defending.
45 min Three minutes of added time.
44 min “Saying that the goal was not only against the run of play but was in fact a complete affront to the run of play kinda ignores the fact that this is exactly what Palace set out to do: absorb all the pressure and then hit Liverpool on the counter,” says Shoaib. “And it’s been working for them so far.”
That’s true, but it was still totally one-sided for the first half hour. The goal was the first time Palace put a decent counter-attack together.
43 min Salah clips a cross back towards Elliott, whose flying header from 15 yards is straight at Guaita. He pats it down – he could probably have held it – and Andersen puts it out of play.
42 min The first half has been a triumph for Patrick Vieira. Palace’s back five withstood a whole load of pressure in the first half hour, and then they started to find their counter-attacking range.
40 min: Alisson saves from Zaha! Palace are opening Liverpool up with increasing ease. Doucoure slides a pass down the inside-right channel towards Zaha, who times his run superbly again. This time his touch is slightly heavy, and that allows Alisson to charge out and block the eventual shot.
40 min Diaz is booked for a foul on Ayew.
39 min Here’s that Zaha goal, which really was a beauty.
What a 𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 counter-attack! Wilfried Zaha puts Crystal Palace ahead ⚡💥 pic.twitter.com/H9BFDf2Hnc
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
38 min Doucoure wafts high and wide from 25 yards after a decent Palace break. Moments later, Zaha shoots straight at Alisson from 20 yards. The mood has changed.
36 min Alexander-Arnold has two long-range shots in the space of a few seconds, both blocked. Palace defenders must have blocked seven or eight shots already.
36 min “Is it me,” says Gary Naylor, “or does Nunez look like the young Zlatan?”
I’m not seeing it yet.
35 min Nunez shoots wide from 25 yards. Apparently Liverpool have now conceded the first goal in their last six Premier League games. They’ve still won most of them, mind.
Updated
34 min That goal wasn’t just against the run of play; it was a complete affront to the run of play. But it was such a good finish, not least because Alisson is arguably the best in the world at one-on-ones.
It was made brilliantly on the break by Ebere Eze. He killed a Palace defensive clearance, swerved elegantly away from Fabinho and sliced Liverpool open with a straight pass in behind Phillips. Zaha timed his run perfectly, moved into the area and placed an emphatic low shot across Alisson. What a superb goal.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace (Zaha 32)
Wilfred Zaha gives Palace the lead with a superb goal!
Updated
31 min I know he’s not the world’s best defender, I know that, but Alexander-Arnold’s passing range is unreal.
30 min: Chance for Salah! Alexander-Arnold finds himself in the middle of the pitch, where he turns away from Schlupp and angles a delicious pass over the Palace defence. Salah meets it on the run, 10 yards from goal, but heads straight at Guaita. It was another good chance, and a ridiculous ball from Alexander-Arnold. He and Elliott have looked very bright for Liverpool.
28 min “Liverpool have had nine attempts in 24 minutes,” says Richard Hirst. “Does the Knowledge know the record?”
Is that my new nickname? I suppose I’ve had worse.
Updated
27 min Clyne takes the ball off Elliott’s toes in the area. It’s all Liverpool, as it has been throughout. According to the official Premier League site, Liverpool have had 77 per cent possession.
24 min van Dijk has a pop from 30 yards. It’s well struck but off target.
24 min “This has got 0-1 (Robertson OG, 86’) all over it,” weeps Matt Dony.
23 min: Chance for Salah! Alexander-Arnold receives the ball in space on the right. He takes a touch and arrows a brilliant low pass into Salah, who opens his body and shoots a few yards wide of the near post. It wasn’t the easiest chance, but he should have worked Guaita.
Updated
22 min Salah tees up Alexander-Arnold, whose stinger from the edge of the area is blocked by Guehi.
21 min Alexander-Arnold’s deep cross is forced back across goal by Robertson, under pressure from Clyne, but Ayew gets in front of Nunez to boot the ball away.
20 min Palace have calmed things down a little, though the match remains very one-sided.
18 min Eze goes through one on one before being denied by Alisson, though deep down everyone knew he was offside. The flag went up as soon as Alisson made the save.
Updated
17 min Robertson makes an excellent run infield, onto a long pass from Milner, and has a shot blocked by Ward. Diaz picks up the loose ball and eventually makes room for a shot that also hits Ward before spinning into the arms of Guaita.
15 min Nunez runs into space down the right, onto a long pass from Phillips, and blasts a low cross that is well held by Guaita.
13 min Palace are already faffing around on goalkicks, prompting a few boos from the home crowd.
10 min Palace can’t get out of their third, never mind their half.
9 min: Two chances for Liverpool! Elliott danced past a couple of defenders on the edge of the area and drove a low shot that would have gone in but for Andersen’s excellent block in the six-yard box. Moments later, Nunez volleyed over from a tight angle at the far post.
Updated
6 min Palace’s 5-4-1 formation already looks like morphing into 9-0-1. I don’t suppose Palace fans would appreciate the juxtaposition of 9 and 0 during a game at Anfield.
5 min Liverpool have made a lively start. Salah gets away from Mitchell on the right and plays the ball back to Elliott, whose shot from the edge of the area is blocked by Andersen.
3 min “Matip and Konate are injured, and Gomez is still regaining match fitness?!” sniffs Peter Oh. “That is not good news for Liverpool’s defence. Good thing Klopp was able to find a Phillips, er, screwdriver in the toolbox to try to tamp down the Palace attack.”
2 min Milner caught Guaita in his follow through after slicing that shot over the bar – I think he stamped on his shin – and there’s a break in play wihile Guaita receives treatment.
Updated
1 min: Chance for Milner! The old man almost gives Liverpool the lead after 55 seconds. Alexander-Arnold’s dangerous cross was punched away by Guaita, under pressure from Nunez. Milner pinched the loose ball from Ayew, just outside the penalty area, then slapped a left-foot shot over the bar.
1 min Peep peep! Palace get the game under way.
Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match interview
🗣️ "Because we have no other striker" 🤷♂️
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
Jurgen Klopp on why he's handed Darwin Nunez his first Premier League start. pic.twitter.com/fp4eVEmaDm
The players stroll onto the field, all wearing their gamefaces. It looks a bit gloomy on Merseyside, with something called ‘rain’ in the air.
“Nunez has looked very good so far,” says Brendan Large. “Is this the new first-choice front three for Liverpool?”
Yep!
“I have a bad feeling about this (from a Liverpool standpoint),” says Niall Mullen. “And, looking at the other contenders, it feels that if the Reds don’t make a challenge we could just send the First Division trophy over to the Etihad before August is out.”
I expected Liverpool to make a terrifyingly fast start, as they did the last time they lost the title to City on the last day of the previous season. I still think they will, despite last week’s minor fiasco. They’re going to win 12-0 next Monday, we already know that.
Patrick Vieira’s pre-match thoughts
"We can create chances, we can score goals" 💬
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
Patrick Vieira looks ahead to a tantalising #MNF clash between Liverpool and Crystal Palace this evening 👇 pic.twitter.com/qvtdrCB8Ob
Thirty years ago today, the Premier League got under way. For richer and poorer, it has dominated our lives ever since. The most famous images have been everywhere in the last few days, so our picture editors went looking for something a little more offbeat. And they’ve found some rare gems.
“I’m in your old stomping ground of that there London and hope to avoid walking in to a Palace supporters’ pub while wearing my dual King Kenny/Ken Dodd tribute gear,” says Ian Copestake. “Is best to have a tickling stick to defuse any liveliness.”
Patrick Vieira starts without a recognised centre-forward tonight. But he may soon have a new toy to play with.
Team news
Some interesting selections on both sides. Jurgen Klopp has left out Jordan Henderson, with Harvey Elliott and James Milner preferred in midfield. Nat Phillips, who played so many games in the 2020-21, starts at centre-back. Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate are injured, while Joe Gomez is only fit enough for the bench. And the record signing Darwin Nunez starts up front.
It looks like Patrick Vieira has switched to a back five, with Joel Ward replacing Odsonne Edouard. That’s the only change from the Palace team that lost to Arsenal ten days ago.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Milner; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Substitutes: Adrian, Gomez, Tsimikas, Bajcetic, van den Berg, Keita, Henderson, Carvalho, Clark.
Crystal Palace (possible 5-4-1) Guaita; Clyne, Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Ayew, Doucoure, Schlupp, Eze; Zaha.
Substitutes: Johnstone, Richards, Milivojevic, Olise, Hughes, Ebiowei, Plange, Mateta, Edouard.
Referee Paul Tierney.
Preamble
The fixture computer can be a sick twist all right. Crystal Palace, aiming to build on a fine first season under Patrick Vieira, have been given the toughest start of any team in the Premier League: an opening game against New Arsenal last week, then Liverpool tonight and Manchester City at the end of August. Sure they also have a winnable match at home to Villa on Saturday, but can we please not dwell on that. I’m trying to sell a narrative here!
Point is, nobody gives Palace much chance tonight. If you’re into the whole betting thing, you can get 16/1 on a Palace victory and 6/1 on a draw. Since they had the effrontery to win three consecutive games at Anfield between 2015-17, Palace have lost ten in a row, home and away, against Liverpool.
This fixture looked formidable even before Liverpool started the season with a sloppy, sluggish 2-2 draw at Fulham. A performance like that has consequences. The Liverpool players have had nine days of listening to the people who doubt their commitment to another season of heavy-metal football. The backlash begins at 8pm.
Updated
