Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield, with Alexander Isak scoring his first Premier League goal for the club. Andy Robertson and Florian Wirtz added further goals, but Mohamed Salah was forced off with a hamstring injury. The win positions Liverpool level on points with Manchester United for third place.
Alexander Isak opened the scoring in the 35th minute, collecting a mishit shot from Alexis Mac Allister and finishing past Dean Henderson. This marked Isak's first Premier League goal since his £125 million transfer to Liverpool, despite missing 22 matches earlier this season due to a broken leg. Crystal Palace had previously beaten Liverpool three times this season across competitions. Freddie Woodman, Liverpool's third-choice goalkeeper and a former Palace academy player, made a key save from Jean-Philippe Mateta's header, sparking a counter-attack that led to Andy Robertson's clinical finish for the second goal. Palace pulled one back controversially 19 minutes from time when Woodman went down injured after a one-on-one with Ismaila Sarr, allowing Daniel Munoz to score into an unguarded net. Jorgen Strand Larsen hit the post before Florian Wirtz restored Liverpool's two-goal lead in added time from Mac Allister's hold-up play. Mohamed Salah, who will leave at season's end, grabbed his left hamstring and exited to an emotional ovation. A former Aston Villa and Tottenham manager told Sky Sports: 'This could be the end of him in a Liverpool shirt. What a sad end for him.' Liverpool fielded Woodman due to injuries to Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili. The result leaves Liverpool eight points clear of the Champions League places with four games remaining, ahead of their trip to Manchester United. Palace sit 13th, three points behind 12th-placed Sunderland.
