Liverpool defeat Crystal Palace: Key talking points
Liverpool won their second match of Premier League 2018-19 under Jurgen Klopp and by doing so they remain in contention for the top spot on the table. A spot-kick by James Milner and a stoppage-time goal by Mane saw the Reds through. Palace, though did not have enough shots on target, showed enough mettle against their high-pressing opponents. Key talking points follow.
Klopp's players are going all-in with his vision
Jurgen Klopp has developed a fine set of tactics with his team and they are following it to near-perfection. Liverpool are playing quick, forward-moving passes and are always looking for a chance to break the opponent's defense. When the ball is not with them, every player is pressing down hard on the opponent. However, Liverpool did miss a few easy scoring chances.
Palace were not bad, was a gritty win for Liverpool
Unlike their victory against West Ham, this was a robustly fought win for Liverpool. Crystal Palace were quite threatening with the ball and their defense, too, was solidly built. However, the ingrained speed in the Red's football this season finally got to the hosts and they succumbed after putting up a valiant fight. We should keep our eyes on Palace's Wilfried Zaha this season.
Keita and Alisson- Two heroes of the match
Naby Keita put up a splendid performance last night and to contain him became a daunting task for Palace. The mid-fielder chased the ball everywhere, not giving an inch of space to the opponents. He helped create numerous attacks throughout the 90 minutes of the match. Alisson proved his salt by making some spectacular saves, and displayed amazing potential as Liverpool's custodian.
Points to watch out for in the coming days
Liverpool are playing a swift game which works well with the amazing speedsters in their squad. This is what is making life hard for their opponents this term. However, playing such high pressing, fast-paced football throughout the season might not be that easy. We have to observe whether Klopp's men, who lost to Swansea last season, keep up the good work.
