Set-pieces decisive for Liverpool in 3-0 win against Palace
Sports Desk, Sep 18 (EFE).- All the goals came on corners Saturday as Liverpool beat a tenacious Crystal Palace 3-0 to take sole possession of first place in the Premier League.
The result at Anfield boosts the Reds to 13 points, 3 more than the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Merseyside neighbors Everton, though all of those teams except City have a game in hand.
Crystal Palace are 13th on 5 points.
The hosts had 62 percent possession and put 10 shots on target to just two for the visitors from London, who nevertheless managed to make it a contest thanks to some fine work by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
Palace had a pair of early chances. Wilfried Zaha forced a save from Alisson and Christian Benteke hit the post.
Patrick Vieira’s men kept the Reds off the board until the 43rd minute, when Sadio Mane hammered in the rebound after Guaita made the initial stop against Mohamed Salah off a corner from Konstantinos Tsimikas.
It was the Senegal international’s 100th goal for Liverpool.
Guaita made a pair of impressive stops in quick succession against Naby Keita and Salah to keep Palace in the game, but the Egyptian closed the door in the 78th minute with his fourth goal of the Premier League campaign.
Keita, who came on the 62nd for the injured Thiago Alcantara, made it 3-0 in the final minute of regulation to cap off what has been a successful week for Jürgen Klopp’s squad, who came from behind Wednesday to edge AC Milan in the Champions League. EFE msg/dr
