Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Crystal Palace 0 Liverpool 1 in the 2024-2025 Premier League season at Selhurst Park…
WHEN Wataru Endo handballed it and the ref gave a throw.
When Endo handballed it and the ref gave a throw and then gave a foul throw. When Endo handballed it and the ref gave a throw and then gave a foul throw and we pushed them back again for 15 seconds.
It was incredible and was celebrated like a goal. It was incredible and it was demonstrative of a thing – this isn’t an art project, this isn’t a transition, this is a desire to win in the blood and the bone.
Listen – I’ve been up the wall about this one. The numbers were against us. A side with as many good players as Crystal Palace shouldn’t be winless in seven. A side rarely wins five consecutive away games in all comps.
But something more – we can talk about the start of the season where Liverpool have played poor sides like Ipswich Town, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but a reason to pick up all the points in these games is the leeway it gives you.
This was a must win if we’re in business. A must win if we’re what we should be.
We’re in business. We’re what we should be.
We’re a team with a live interest in winning the football league. Again.
The again matters. Everything the manager currently says in public is about reminding the players what they have done, but telling them what they want to do – you want to be serious? Then this needs to be better.
Last season, you didn’t take enough points from the bottom 10. Last season, you didn’t win enough home games. Two seasons ago, you flopped when fighting on two big fronts.
You serious? You in business? You what you should be?
We’re serious. We’re in business. We’re what we should be.
The season is alive. It couldn’t be more alive. We’re alive.
Look at Virgil van Dijk. Walk around him. Yet again, today he was the absolute business. He has hit this plane of existence yet again. Football matches start and he is the best player his position has seen. He does every aspect of it, pinging it when he can and taking care of his teammates at other times.
For an hour, Liverpool had a Crystal Palace plan and up to the penalty area they executed it brilliantly. They deserved to be three up. But then Crystal Palace found, if not a Liverpool plan, then a make-it-mad plan which Liverpool were discombobulated by.
In response, there was van Dijk. Again and again, there was van Dijk. He is the best one. It isn’t more complicated than that.
That Crystal Palace plan saw the opening goal, saw them pulled hither and thither, saw them humbled and weak. At half time, the foul count was 0-10 to Liverpool and while referee Hooper was ridiculous that should embarrass Palace. They were made meek and mild by The Reds.
The game was Liverpool’s and this is the thing to work on – it was a 0-3 first half and the failure to make it so is Liverpool’s greatest failure of the day.
They end it deserving the nil and they end it deserving to win. This matters. They didn’t make a mess of anything, but they should have made it easier for themselves.
Diogo Jota helped and then, oddly, hindered. He is the man who scores the key goal, but who should score the second key goal. That’s some pressure. It becomes fine, in the round. Because we win, but my god, we could win smoother.
The goalkeeper situation is stressful. Alisson was managing himself and then couldn’t. But Vitezslav Jaros did well and was a credit. However you want, and need Alisson because of what we are in.
We’ve won. Curtis Jones played well. Kostas Tsimikas played well apart from in seconds. Cody Gakpo was excellent. We’ve won and we’re as alive as can be conceived of, in the grand scheme. We’re top on Monday morning and that is everything.
We’re in business. We’re what we should be. We’re top on Monday morning and the aim should be this – to be top on all the Monday mornings.
I’m excited. The season starts in October and we can have it all. Listen – I was up the wall because I want it all and there it is, suddenly, a season to take a great big bite of. A season to live altogether. It gets harder from here but it gets to be more fun.
The maths and the moment is in our favour. What a pleasure. We’re all in from mid-October. One big gang with one big job.
This league isn’t going to win itself. And we’re in it together, in the blood and the bone.
