Monday 7 March 2016 08:09, UK
Ten-man Liverpool grabbed a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday, extending the hosts' woeful run of form thanks to a controversial last-minute penalty.
Emmanuel Adebayor had hit the bar in the first-half and Joe Ledley put Palace ahead with a low strike from the edge of the box shortly after the break.
However, a slip from Palace 'keeper Alex McCarthy handed Roberto Firmino a chance to level the scores and, after Alberto Moreno had cannoned a shot into the woodwork, substitute Christian Benteke won and scored an injury-time penalty.
Here, we examine five talking points from the game…
Was it a penalty?
Should Liverpool's injury-time, match-winning penalty have been awarded? It was a decision hotly debated after the final whistle.
With just seconds left on the clock, Benteke appeared to be heading to the touchline, before Damien Delaney slid in, tried to pull out of his tackle, clipped the Belgian with his knee and sent the Liverpool striker tumbling.
At first it appeared referee Andre Marriner was not convinced but following an apparent intervention from his linesman, awarded the spot-kick, which Benteke cooly converted.
Asked afterwards whether it was a foul, Benteke was diplomatic. "I think he touched me, otherwise I wouldn't have gone down," he told Sky Sports. "The referee knows better than us and he took the right decision."
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, was convinced. "As soon as I saw it I thought it was a penalty," he said. "Liverpool players don't dive! It was a stupid decision to dive in and [Delaney] just clipped with his right knee Christian Benteke's left ankle and it's a penalty. I don't think it's a debate."
But an angry Alan Pardew felt his team had been hard done by. "If the linesman has called it for that knee touch on the foot, in the last seconds of the game, when he's pulling out of it, I think that's harsh," said the Palace boss. "Delaney shouldn't go to ground and he knows that, he pulls out of it. If you give a penalty for that in the last seconds, blimey, that's a bit tough."
Despite the circumstances, the goal ended Benteke's 715 minute goal drought in all competitions and Carragher was pleased for the Liverpool forward. "He's a big-money signing and it hasn't quite worked out for him. But he's someone I look at and I sort of feel for him. He's conducted himself really well off the pitch. And that will do him a world of good."
Liverpool adapt after Milner red card
The was no debate about James Milner's red card, though. It was just his second ever Premier League dismissal - the first coming against West Brom in October 2012 - but he left referee Andre Marriner little choice but to issues two yellow cards for late tackles on Yohan Cabaye and Wilfried Zaha.
At 1-0 down, Liverpool could easily have folded after being reduced to 10 men but a combination of good fortune, a formation switch and a drop-off in performance from the hosts led to the Reds grabbing all three points.
Klopp switched formation to 3-4-2, following Milner's sending off and, while he conceded that left his team occasionally exposed down their right flank, he was keen to maintain an attacking impetus. The gamble paid off. A mis-kick from goalkeeper Alex McCarthy presented Roberto Firmino with a simple one-on-one to level the scores before Benteke's late penalty.
"It was an incredible performance from all of us, especially after the red card," said Dejan Lovren. "We stepped up and showed our skills and our character and I think it was a deserved win today."
Palace's poor run goes on
Alan Pardew launched his coat into the dugout in frustration after seeing Benteke snatch all three points with the final kick of the game. It's easy to understand his annoyance.
Palace are on the longest winless run in the Premier League (12 games) and, after losing their fifth home game in a row, have slumped from fifth to 15th.
For the second game in a row injury-time goals have denied his side valuable points but Thierry Henry was unimpressed by Palace's second-half display.
"In the second half Liverpool played way better with 10 men," Henry told Sky Sports. "Palace became a bit timid, fragile, lethargic, passive at times and Liverpool deserved to win the game. In the last 30 minutes Liverpool controlled the game with 10 men."
Liverpool end Selhurst streak
Liverpool will hope Sunday's victory ends a wretched spell of form at Selhurst Park.
This was the Reds' first league win at Palace since December 1997 and the Eagles had gone into the game having won six of their last 11 meetings with Liverpool, including the previous three Premier League clashes.
Before that trio of Palace wins, the London club held Liverpool to a memorable 3-3 draw, which was a major hammer blow to the Reds' league title hopes in May 2014. Liverpool's players and their travelling support will take fonder memories from their latest visit to south London.
Liverpool's set-piece problems return
While victory over Palace keeps Liverpool in the hunt for a European qualifying spot, there was a familiar problem in defence which won't have escaped Jurgen Klopp's attention.
Joe Ledley's opener came from Liverpool's failure to clear a corner, meaning for the ninth time this season they've conceded from that type of set piece. Only Swansea have conceded more goals from corners (10).
Of course, Crystal Palace are specialists from dead-ball situations. No Premier League side has scored more goals from corners this season than Palace, with their total of 10 level with Spurs. But Klopp will be keen to address this recurring defensive theme.
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