Liverpool beat Crystal Palace courtesy of a James Milner penalty (Image: GETTY)
The man who netted 44 goals last year and was on Monday nominated for the Uefa Player-of-the-Year award, may not have scored at Selhurst Park last night – but he was at the apex of everything.
It was Salah who was controversially tripped in the area by Mamadou Sakho to allow James Milner to put Jurgen Klopp’s team ahead with a cool penalty on the stroke of half-time.
It as Salah who ignored the furious boos from the Selhurst crowd convinced he dived and who continually tormented their defence. It was Salah who forced Aaron Wan-Bissaka into the trip that got him sent off and left Palace ending the game with only 10 men.
And it was Salah who set up Sadio Mane for Liverpool’s second in stoppage time.
Since Palace’s opening-day win at Craven Cottage, Wilfried Zaha has signed a new £130,000 five-year deal, which pretty much made it a very good summer for the club, along with Hodgson also penning a new one-year contract.
Memories of Selhurst Park have generally been good for Liverpool – except for the nightmare of May 2014, when the 3-3 draw there saw the title slip from their grasp. But they had won on their last three league visits to South London and, after an opening-day 4-0 thumping of West Ham, they arrived in as confident a mood as any in recent years.
New Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson, manager Jurgen Klopp revealed in the build-up to last night’s game, has been toughening up by using rugby tackle bags in training – which when facing a player like Christian Benteke might well have been good preparation.
Another Liverpool goalkeeper, however, Loris Karius, was last night set to go to Besiktas on a two-year loan deal.
James Milner has never lost a Premier League game in which he has scored (Image: REUTERS)
Liverpool were at Palace straight from the off. There were one or two shaky moments as the visitors pressed but Palace got away with them, Wayne Hennessey making an excellent punch to clear Andy Robertson’s cross.
Then when a superb ball from Naby Keita put Salah streaking through, Selhurst Park held its breath, but for once the Egyptian put the ball over the bar. But suddenly Palace broke and, when Keita lost the ball, Benteke set up Andros Townsend and the winger curled a glorious drive over Alisson, only to see the ball bounce back off the bar.
Patrick van Aanholt was lucky not to see a red card rather than a yellow for a challenge which flattened James Milner. But then on the stroke of half-time Sakho left his foot in on Salah as the Egyptian wriggled and then went down in the area, and referee Michael Oliver, to Palace’s outrage, gave the penalty.
Milner had recovered well enough to slot home the spot-kick.
Crystal Palace contested the penalty decision (Image: REUTERS)
Salah, who was booked for diving at Chelsea at the end of last season, walked off at half-time to a chorus of furious boos.
But he is not easily intimidated. On to another long ball from out of defence he raced and only a bold dive by Hennessey prevented further disaster for Palace. But Hodgson’s team, fired up by the apparent injustice of the penalty fought back, and skipper Luka Milivojevic saw his vicious free-kick turned round the post by Alisson before Van Aanholt shot over.
Then Benteke’s header was saved by the Brazilian goalkeeper.
Then Zaha, a danger all night, found space on the far post but his deflected drive was safely held by Liverpool’s new man between the posts.
But it was Salah who was again at the centre of things. When he galloped clean away again, Palace’s young defender Wan-Bissaka tripped him and the red card was inevitable. Salah took the free-kick, of course but Palace’s wall kept it out.
Right at the death it was that man again, supplying to Mane who made certain of Liverpool’s second win on the bounce.
Liverpool’s defence managed to stifle Wilfried Zaha (Image: REUTERS)
Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey 7; Wan-Bissaka 7, Tomkins 7, Sakho 6, Van Aanholt 6; Townsend 6 (Ward 79), McArthur 6, Milivojevic 6, Schlupp 7 (Meyer 83); Zaha 7, Benteke 6 (Sorloth 70, 5).
Sent off: Wan-Bissaka.
Booked: Van Aanholt.
NEXT UP: Watford (a), Sun PL.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 7, Gomes 7, Van Dyke 6, Robertson 7; Milner 7 (Henderson 67, 5), Wijnaldum 7, Keita 8 (Lallana 87); Salah 7, Firmino 7 (Sturridge 90), Mane 7.
Booked: Alexander-Arnold.
Goals: Milner 45 pen, Mane 90.
NEXT UP: Brighton (h), Sat PL.
Referee: M Oliver (Northumberland).
