At this stage of the season, attractive football counts for very little unless it is backed up by points.
Pierre Sage, dismissed by Lyon two years ago, understands better than most that football management is ultimately judged by results.
Unfortunately for the Palace boss, there have not been enough of them. Crystal Palace repeatedly had Liverpool under pressure but could not deliver the decisive blow, and that failure may have sealed the fate of their manager. Sage cut a forlorn figure at the final whistle, storming away with a face like thunder.
The former Lens over-achiever now appears to be heading for the sack six weeks before Christmas. He may point to the fine margins that denied Palace a famous, potentially job-saving victory, but two wins from 10 Premier League matches is simply not enough.
Liverpool, by contrast, had the crossbar and a vintage display from Alisson to thank. Andoni Iraola’s side were far from their best, yet showed the resilience required to grind out an important win.
Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak were on target as the Reds recovered from a difficult week. Liverpool had suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in the Iraola era, prompting fans to revive the familiar terrace chant, ‘Poetry in Motion’.
Florian Wirtz scored a rare Liverpool goal as the Reds beat Crystal Palace 3-1 in the Premier League
Wirtz doubled Liverpool’s advantage in the 54th minute during the 3-1 victory at Selhurst Park
Pressure is mounting on Palace manager Pierre Sage after another defeat
This was hardly football of William Wordsworth quality, and Liverpool were out of tune for long periods. But when the crucial moments arrived, their expensive attacking players showed exactly why the club invested so heavily in them.
Mac Allister once again emerged as Liverpool’s unlikely aerial weapon despite being one of the smallest players on the pitch. Wirtz contributed a goal and an assist, while Isak took his season’s tally to eight by extending his impressive scoring run.
Bradley Barcola also underlined his importance, even though his first-half display was blighted by missed opportunities.
Yet the biggest share of the praise belonged to Alisson. The goalkeeper was named man of the match after Palace dominated much of the opening period.
‘I’m very pleased with Alisson’s performance,’ Iraola said. ‘He commanded the box extremely well, and in matches here there are usually plenty of incidents in both penalty areas. He showed the level he can provide for us. In general, we are earning good away results at difficult stadiums.’
The Brazilian is entering the final year of his contract, but this was his strongest performance in 18 months, dating back to Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League knockout win over Paris Saint-Germain. He will stay behind during the international break rather than join Brazil, using the time to recover after several injury-hit seasons.
Alisson denied Adam Wharton with a deflected header, stood up to a powerful effort from Daichi Kamada and turned Quenten Timber’s long-range strike around the post. Palace also struck the crossbar through Yeremy Pino during a first half that deserved a very different scoreline.
Jorgen Strand Larsen appeared to have scored as well, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Liverpool, however, seized the opportunity when it finally arrived after another spell of hesitant play and misplaced decisions. Those familiar weaknesses had also been evident against Arsenal the previous weekend and in the 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce in midweek.
Alexis Mac Allister put Liverpool ahead from close range in the 40th minute
The Argentina international celebrated after breaking the deadlock at Selhurst Park
Mac Allister opened the scoring to continue his excellent revival this season, with Dominik Szoboszlai providing the delivery after facing criticism during the week. The Hungarian sent a curling cross towards the near post, and Mac Allister redirected it beyond Henderson to make it 1-0.
The former Brighton midfielder then raced towards the Palace supporters behind the goal, celebrating in front of fans who had once viewed him as a rival on the south coast.
Liverpool endured another difficult spell after the interval but soon doubled their lead. Barcola, ineffective for much of the first half, switched flanks and made an immediate impact with his first meaningful attack.
The French winger accelerated down the left before finding Wirtz, who took a moment to steady himself and calmly guided the ball into the net. Iraola highlighted Isak’s movement, noting that the striker drew defenders away from the play and opened the space for Wirtz.
Isak missed a one-on-one opportunity soon afterwards, but he made no mistake when his next chance came. Trey Nyoni launched a rapid counter, Wirtz supplied the final pass and Isak slipped beyond Chris Richards before finishing coolly.
The result will have pleased Liverpool’s hierarchy, with all three of their £100million attackers — Isak, Barcola and Wirtz — contributing either a goal or an assist. Wirtz managed both.
Alexander Isak completed Liverpool’s scoring with a right-footed finish in the 89th minute
Eddie Nketiah gave Palace late hope by converting a penalty in stoppage time
Even so, Liverpool would not have secured this victory without Alisson, who is now 34 and approaching the final months of his contract. Iraola will be especially pleased with the defensive resolve his team showed under sustained pressure, given that Palace registered 10 first-half attempts.
Iraola accepts that his squad still has weaknesses and remains a work in progress. However, despite a number of difficult afternoons, Liverpool appear to be moving in a positive direction.
The outlook is far less encouraging for Sage. Palace finally reduced the deficit in added time when Eddie Nketiah converted from the spot after a needless foul by Milos Kerkez.
Palace can count themselves unfortunate on the balance of play, but the stark reality is that their recent FA Cup and Europa Conference League successes already feel distant. They head into the international break at the foot of the Premier League table.
West Ham also lifted a European trophy within the past five years, yet their subsequent struggles show how quickly fortunes can change. Palace must heed that warning: no success lasts forever, and even they are not immune to the threat of relegation.
Nketiah’s late penalty was little more than consolation. For Palace chairman Steve Parish, the increasingly unavoidable answer may be an unwanted change in the dugout.
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