So, you’re saying there’s a chance?
On a weekend when Manchester City suffered a rare slip, Liverpool were given an opportunity to breathe new life into their Premier League title challenge.
And having clasped both hands around the potential reward of three points, they very, very nearly let it carelessly slip through their fingers.
Reds supporters know all about title challenges floundering in the face of a comeback at Selhurst Park.
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So there were nerves fraying aplenty as Jurgen Klopp’s side appeared determined to repeat events of almost eight years previous.
For 35 minutes, Liverpool were utterly dominant, producing arguably their best concerted passage of controlled football all campaign.
Klopp had called last season’s record-breaking 7-0 win at Selhurst Park a freak of nature.
But when, shortly after the half-hour mark, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doubled the advantage given to the visitors by Virgil van Dijk’s booming header, it appeared the Reds were in the mood for another rout.
Then, for some reason, they stopped playing. And with Palace rousing themselves off the canvas, the remainder of the match was largely a case of the Reds digging deep into their reserves of resolve and character after Odsonne Eduoard pulled a goal back.
Were Liverpool’s players simply exhausted after a difficult few weeks? Should Klopp have made more changes? Or had Palace spotted weaknesses?
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In the end, it didn’t matter. Much will be made of the extremely contentious decision by referee Kevin Friend, having been advised by VAR Craig Pawson, to eventually award Diogo Jota a penalty after colliding with Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, thus allowing Fabinho to relieve the pressure from the spot late on.
But Liverpool deserve credit for getting the job done, particularly given minds must surely have drifted to previous surrenders against Brighton and Chelsea this term.
And it’s not as if they weren’t due a favour from VAR, as unexpected and, let’s be honest here, wrong as this one was.
With City unlikely to drop many points between now and the end of the season, this was simply a game the Reds had to win. They did.
Pep Guardiola is right. The Premier League title race is far from over.
