We returned to Selhurst Park to face a formidable title chasing Liverpool side rejuvenated under Jurgen Klopp.
It was going to be a tough fixture and Palace would have to be at the top of their game to get something from the match.
Pardew made some bold changes giving an opportunity to Lee Chung-yong replacing the underperforming Andros Townsend, captain Scott Dann was back after an injury lay off to replace Damien Delaney and a pumped up Christian Benteke determined to prove his old manager wrong to have sold him as surplus to requirements would continue to lead the line up front on his own.
Pardew had given himself a strong bench with the likes of Jason Puncheon, Damien Delaney and Townsend to call upon if required.
Liverpool started well with short sleek passes looking confident, purposeful and like a team that were going to be title challengers. Palace struggled to get settled and appeared to be showing too much respect and not closing down.
The Reds were technically better but we needed to play to our strengths and we just didn’t appear to be doing it. Tall Croatian defender Dejan Lovren seemed to have Benteke sussed out, and I cannot recall him losing an ariel duel with our Belguim target man. He clearly knew how Benteke played and his strengths obviously from their time together at Liverpool.
The Liverpool pressure eventually told when a delightful ball by Courtinho found the on running Moreno who first time passed the ball into the box with the Palace defence appealing for offside. The ball found the advancing Emre Can who slotted his shot off Dann and past Steve Mandanda and into the net. The Palace defence appeared static and should have done better.
Palace needed to up their game and quickly.
An unforeseen opportunity did however present itself just a couple of minutes later when following a goal kick from Mandanda, the ball was flicked on by the head of Benteke which was headed by Matip to Lovren. His sliced clearance was met bravely by the energetic James McArthur who kept his eye on the ball and headed it pass the advancing keeper Karius and into the empty net. Credit must be given to McArthur for his desire to not give up and chase everything, a quality he has in abundance. A messy goal for Liverpool to concede but it was all square with just eighteen minutes gone.
Selhurst Park was rocking.
To the Reds credit, they responded well and again took the game to the home side. Their first corner of the match came just after twenty minutes after the pacey Sadio Mane was put through by the impressive Philippe Coutinho but Tomkins managed to muscle him off and the ball went out of play.
Coutinho found the head of Lovren with the corner who beat Dann far too easily and headed the ball into the Palace net appearing to look like it went through the legs of Mandanda. Lovren had redeemed himself from his mistake moments earlier and the Palace defence were all at sea.
An opportunity for Liverpool to increase their lead fell to full back Alberton Moreno who received the ball from an overlapping run from Courtinho. The Brazilian laid the ball back to the defender with great awareness who had continued his run and venomously crashed the ball against the outside of the post, a let off for the Eagles.
Palace kept plugging away and got their reward when a hopeful ball into the danger zone found Benteke who flicked his header across the penalty area towards Wilfried Zaha. The winger floated in a sublime cross into the area which was met once again by the head of our engine man McArthur and into the back of the net unchallenged by the more imposing figure of Lovren.
Just over half hour gone and Palace were back in the game, but it was obvious there was going to be more goals to come in this end to end match. Selhurst Park was once again bouncing.
The Eagles very nearly shot themselves in the foot just moments later when Roberton Firmino far too easily beat stand in left back Martin Kelly and managed to get to the by line and dink a ball across the box. The ball found Coutinho who’s shot was well saved by Mandanda, pushing the ball onto the post before being cleared by Yohan Cabaye. Palace survived.
A possible hand ball by Joel Ward from the Coutinho shot was rightly not considered deliberate by referee Andre Marriner but that did not detract from the superb save that Mandanda made in that same passage of play.
Then in the dying minutes of the first half the visitors won another corner from a challenge on Nathaniel Clyne by Kelly. The corner was taken once again by Coutinho found the towering Joel Matip who headed the ball unchallenged and unmarked straight at Mandanda who could do nothing to stop it going past him. That was Matip’s first goal for the Reds but Mandanda should of really done better, had that have been Hennessey, it would have been interesting to hear the reaction.
Second half and Palace came out the blocks firing and showing more purpose, Liverpool were being pegged back and the hosts were looking good.
A great opportunity fell to Benteke from a free kick floated in by Tomkins. The ball was headed down by Dann to the big striker who hit a blistering shot which was well saved by Karius. Unlucky for Palace but the reaction was far better, the Reds were well and truly on the ropes as the Eagles continued to pile forward.
Liverpool managed to break on the counter and one chance was carved out by the dangerous Coutinho. He played a ball through to Mane who too easily got past Kelly and despite a late lunging challenge by Tomkins got his shot away but was well saved by Mandanda with his legs.
Palace were again forcing the play. Three penalty shouts was waved away, two on Zaha who was infringed in the area. The first despite the winger falling to the ground but his sheer desire got him back on his feet and beat Moreno to square the ball across the box. The second penalty claim quickly came as Benteke was brought down by Matip. The loose ball fell to Cabaye who had his shot saved bravely by Karius. Fine margins and on another day a penalty could have been awarded for both challenges. The third was perhaps the clearest as Zaha was clipped in the area having got past his opponent. Palace players made their protests felt to the referee on each occassion. A penalty converted levelling the scoreline at 3-3 could have made things very interesting indeed.
Chung-Yong Lee was replaced by Townsend as Palace pushed for the equaliser. The number ten had to start showing more of the capabilities he showed last season for Newcastle United.
Palace continued to go at their visitors, still piling forward and Liverpool were flapping and arguably deserved to be level for this second half performance and the desire being shown.
Then, inevitably, and against the run of play, a through ball by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson found Firmino on the counter attack who ran on and dinked the ball over the advancing Mandanda and into the empty Palace net. A cruel blow for the Eagles and a bitter pill to swallow as they did not particularly deserve to be trailing.
Pardew threw on substitutes, Puncheon replaced Joe Ledley and Frazier Campbell arrived in place of the the very impressive two goal McArthur in a desperate attempt to get something from the game but that fourth goal for the Reds visibly knocked the wind out of the hosts sails.
The game finished off with a more subdued finale as Andre Marriner blew the final whistle to end the contest in a 4-2 victory for the visitors.
Despite a hard working team effort, Palace just were not good enough on the day for a technically superior opposition who look dangerous going forward but somewhat suspect at the back. Conceding two uncharacteristic goals from set pieces will need to be addressed on the training ground as the winless run extends to four ahead of a tough run of fixtures.
The Premier League is so unforgiving and Palace cannot afford to defend like they did in this game and expect to get away with it. We go again, and need to improve. The sooner we get French striker Loic Remy fit, the better.
