Mohamed Salah scored his 200th Liverpool goal as Jurgen Klopp’s side produced a late comeback against 10-man Crystal Palace to move top of the Premier League and increase the pressure on former boss Roy Hodgson.
Salah became only the fifth player to reach that landmark for the club, joining Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell, when he ignited the fightback with a 76th-minute equaliser.
It was Harvey Elliott who delivered the decisive moment inside the first of 10 minutes of added time, producing a stunning strike from the edge of the penalty area to lift Liverpool above Arsenal.
Salah’s goal arrived just 98 seconds after Jordan Ayew was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and the visitors had failed to land a shot on target prior to that moment.
Palace, booed off by their supporters following a disappointing home loss to Bournemouth on Wednesday, were on course to deliver a surprise blow to the Reds’ title aspirations following Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty.
The game had continued for more than one minute after Jarell Quansah caught Mateta when attempting to clear a cross before the video assistant referee intervened – but referee Andy Madley did not take long to award Palace a spot-kick after being sent to the pitchside monitor.
Palace had seen a penalty decision in their favour overturned during the first half when Madley took three minutes to review a challenge by Will Hughes on Endo in the lead-up to Virgil van Dijk’s foul on Odsonne Edouard inside the box.
Liverpool, though dominant, struggled throughout to break the hosts down and the returning Alisson came to his side’s rescue in stunning fashion in the first half when he pushed Jefferson Lerma’s first-time shot on to the post.
The visitors again had the Brazilian to thank for another excellent stop to prevent Joachim Andersen providing a dramatic twist with a header from a free-kick in the 100th minute.
Having eventually ended Palace’s spirited resistance, victory took the Reds one point above last season’s runners-up Arsenal, who lost 1-0 to third-placed Aston Villa later on Saturday.
“I told the boys that’s the first game I’ve seen somebody play as bad as we did for 76 minutes and still win,” Klopp told TNT Sports.
“In this period of the year we have to get through, we need results. Nobody is in for the Oscar award for best football game ever, it’s about three points. We got them and we are more than happy.”
