Arne Slot won his fourth away match in the Premier League with Liverpool on Saturday afternoon. It took unnecessary effort against Crystal Palace, despite Cody Gakpo providing an assist early on for the only goal of the afternoon. This keeps Liverpool at the top of the table, regardless of what Arsenal and Manchester City do later today.
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Liverpool collected ten fewer points in away games last season than champions Manchester City, but under the management of Arne Slot, they have maintained a perfect record away from home so far. Slot, who arrived from Feyenoord, emphasized in a press conference on Friday that closing the gap with City would only be possible if Liverpool dominated every match.
He highlighted the importance of maintaining control, especially since the home crowd often grows more fervent with every minor error made by the visiting team, such as Liverpool losing possession.
At Selhurst Park, Liverpool perfectly executed Slot's game plan, dominating with over seventy percent possession. However, right from the opening moments, it was clear what Slot had meant about the potential pitfalls of facing a passionate home crowd. Just twenty seconds into the match, Eddie Nketiah almost capitalized on a rare defensive lapse from Liverpool, but the offside flag spared them. This early scare was one of the few moments goalkeeper Alisson was called into action, as Liverpool's dominance kept Crystal Palace largely at bay.
The opening goal came swiftly, just nine minutes into the game. Cody Gakpo, making his first start of the season in the Premier League, played a pivotal role by delivering a pinpoint cross after receiving a pass from Kostas Tsimikas. Diogo Jota timed his run perfectly to get in front of his defender and slotted the ball home to give Liverpool an early 1-0 lead. Despite their control of the match, Liverpool struggled to create many more clear-cut chances. For example, Jota failed to connect properly with the ball on another promising attack set up by Ryan Gravenberch.
Liverpool's inability to extend their lead meant they needed to stay vigilant against a Crystal Palace side still searching for their first win of the season. The home side's best chance of the first half came just before the break when Ismaila Sarr unleashed a shot on target, but Alisson was equal to the task, making a comfortable save.
In the second half, Liverpool continued to dominate possession but missed further opportunities to kill off the game. Mohamed Salah had a golden chance to double their lead after a long, precise pass from Virgil van Dijk, but Dean Henderson, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper, made a crucial save to keep his team in the match.
Liverpool's wastefulness nearly proved costly. After a lapse in concentration from Ryan Gravenberch, Crystal Palace pounced on a loose ball, and Eddie Nketiah found himself in a promising position. However, Alisson once again came to Liverpool’s rescue, blocking Nketiah’s shot with his legs. A few minutes later, Eberechi Eze fired a powerful shot that Alisson had to tip over the bar. These moments gave the home crowd renewed hope, and the atmosphere at Selhurst Park became increasingly tense as Palace pushed for an equalizer.
With Alisson forced off the field due to injury late in the game, 23-year-old debutant Vítezslav Jaros was called upon to see out the final minutes. Despite the mounting pressure from Palace, the young goalkeeper held firm, and Liverpool managed to protect their narrow lead, securing their fourth consecutive away victory of the season.
Slot's side remains at the top of the Premier League table, regardless of what Arsenal and Manchester City achieve in their matches later in the day, showing that Liverpool is well on course to be serious contenders in the title race this season.
