Another narrow and frustrating loss to a top six side but it was a decent performance running them close. Here is what TEB learnt from the defeat.
1. Survival was never going to be decided against Liverpool, but even a point would have gone a long way. Saturday marked Palace’s third straight home game against one of the top six, and the Eagles have conceded a late winner on each of those occasions. There has been an air of inevitability going into the final moments of the last three home fixtures, and whether it’s a tactical or a psychological issue, it is an alarming trend which needs addressing before the final six games.
2. For all the attacking talent Palace possess, we have to be one of the most wasteful teams in the Premier League. There was no better example of this than Christian Benteke’s second big chance, when Andros Townsend should have played him the ball so much earlier, but instead took too many touches and made the opportunity much harder for the Belgian. Palace have developed a tendency to panic when in good positions in and around the box, resulting in overhit crosses, misplaced passes and spurned chances. In short, we are making things harder for ourselves than they need to be.
3. Speaking of Benteke, the Belgian’s place at the club beyond this season looks more perilous with each passing week. For all the good things he does, it should not be too much to ask for a £30million striker to at least hit the target with the two chances he had against Liverpool. When a team is not winning and its expensive centre forward is not scoring, that striker is going to be one of the first to bear the brunt. Unfortunately, Benteke’s misses are starting to cost us points, and it looks increasingly likely that a mutual parting of ways will be the most beneficial solution for both parties in the summer.
4. Roy Hodgson needs to find a place in the starting eleven for Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Before the Chelsea loanee came on against Liverpool, Palace were sloppy in possession and struggled to put together any move of substance going forward. Once the England international came on, however, we looked more composed on the ball and suddenly had a driving force in midfield. Loftus-Cheek is a unique talent, and given that we might only have six more opportunities to play him, Hodgson would be well-advised to do so if Palace are to stay up so check out the best football betting guide.
5. In Luka we trust. Forget the fact that Milivojevic is just about the most reliable penalty taker I’ve seen at Palace in my lifetime, but he is quickly becoming one of the best acquisitions the club has made in the Premier League era. The Serb has held the team together at times this season, and for all the talk of Wilfried Zaha leaving in the summer, it feels as if holding onto Milivojevic – should we stay up – will prove to be just as important.
READ OUR PREMIER LEAGUE STATISTICS ARTICLE ON THE GAME WITH LIVERPOOL INCLUDING OUR VERDICT
