A tough defeat at home to a side that will likely finish in the top two this season but here are the five things we learnt.
1 – It feels strange to admit, but Mohamed Salah was within his rights to go down for Liverpool’s penalty. Mamadou Sakho allowed the Egyptian to turn too easily and had two digs at him before Salah eventually fell theatrically to the ground. Despite that, though, had it been Wilfried Zaha in a similar situation, it is almost guaranteed that he would have been vilified for diving. The frustration with the penalty perhaps was not that it should not have been given, but rather that it highlighted an often overlooked agenda that continues to be driven against the Palace forward.
2 – Palace will not be playing Liverpool every week. This was the most complete Reds team to visit Selhurst Park since we were promoted back to the Premier League, and the Eagles still managed to match them for large parts of the game. Liverpool ultimately had too much for the home side, but there were plenty of positive signs to suggest that the optimism surrounding the team is not unfounded.
3 – Take away Zaha and you take away Palace’s threat. A big reason Liverpool won the game was because of their ability to keep the Eagles’ main attacking outlet out of the action. Zaha was constantly receiving the ball in his own half with his back to goal, and when he did, the away side’s defenders were quick to close him down so that he could not get turned and drive forward. But for Andros Townsend’s long-range strike and a few balls that flashed across the six-yard box, Palace failed to create all that much with their talisman stifled.
4 – Aaron Wan-Bissaka still has a way to go. My decision to praise the youngster after the Fulham game was undoubtedly the main reason for his sending off on Monday night, but the red card did at least – in part – highlight one of the few flaws he still needs to address. As good as the 20-year-old’s last ditch interventions often are, they are usually a result of him being caught slightly out of position. His dismissal against Liverpool was more to do with Palace overcommitting and the sheer speed at which the away side broke forward, but that particular aforementioned weakness is likely to be exposed more against the better teams.
5 – The atmosphere was different. Regardless of whose side you are on, no-one can deny that Selhurst Park is at its loudest when the Holmesdale Fanatics are leading the way from their pocket in Block B. While the noise levels were still decent on Monday, a lot of chants struggled to get off the ground, and it was notable that the away fans could be heard for the first time since about 2012. Whatever grievances either party has, it is time for both to swallow some pride so that this team can play in front of the raucous atmosphere that has spurred them on to so many important results in recent years.
