Liverpool’s first home league game of the season saw the Reds having to settle for a point against Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace at Anfield on Monday evening. Jurgen Klopp’s men would’ve been looking to pick up all three points instead of the solitary one they eventually did, but a moment of madness in the second half from new Uruguayan signing Darwin Nunez cost them dearly.
The result means Liverpool are already four points behind rivals Man City just two games into the new season, and next weekend’s clash against Manchester United is now shaping up as a massive one for both teams, especially given how poorly Erik Ten Hag’s men have started this campaign.
With Joel Matip joining the growing injury list at Anfield, Klopp was forced to start Nat Phillips in central defence alongside Virgil van Dijk and the youthful Harvey Elliott in midfield in place of the injured Thiago Alcantara. Upfront Roberto Firmino dropped to the bench, with Nunez starting ahead of the Brazilian.
The early chances were all Liverpool with James Milner and midfield partner Elliott both going close in the opening ten minutes. However, despite having more than 3/4ths of possession, it was the Reds who conceded first, with Eberechi Eze superbly setting up Wilfried Zaha, who got the better of Phillips before sending a low shot across Alisson.
Despite their shaky performance in the season opener against Fulham, Jurgen Klopp’s side had started strong favourites here, with the likes of LeoVegas expecting the Reds to get the better of Palace. Leo also have a pretty big range of slot games that fans can try their hand at, as noticed by the good folks at casino.online. And it was Palace’s fans celebrating an unlikely point at the final whistle- they had lost their last ten in succession against Liverpool prior to this clash.
After Zaha’s goal, things went from bad to worse for the home side when Nunez was sent off for headbutting Joachim Andersen. It was a disappointing way to get sent off, and unwittingly, might have also sent a message to the rest of the league that the young Uruguayan forward is vulnerable to verbal volleys.
Luis Diaz’s superb curling strike just after the hour mark saw the Reds draw level, but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t quite find a winner. At the other end, Zaha missed a glorious chance to restore Palace’s lead thirteen minutes from time. Despite playing with only ten men, it was Liverpool who looked the more likely to score of the two teams, but Palace’s defence held firm for a precious point in the league’s first Monday evening game of the season.
Nunez has had a bright start to his Liverpool career, making an impact in the Community Shield clash against City and also playing a pivotal role off the bench last week against Fulham. But this red card is a bit of a black mark and more importantly, will make him unavailable for the club’s next three games, which is a big blow given the number of players in the treatment room at Anfield currently.