Key events
69 min: Palace sub: Olise, who shown off flashes but is clearly short of sharpness, and on comes Ayew to work the press across the front. Szoboszlai meanwhile forces a corner from a lunging Andersen.
67 min: So Jota and Gakpo reboot the forward line. Salah stays on as, presumably, he is Salah. An instant chance for Jota to play in Jones but he swings and misses. Robertson’s cross seems to come off Clyne’s arm, but there will no penalty after a VAR look. Seen them given.
66 min: Quite a wait for a break in play for those subs to come on. Eventually, as Konate clears, Nunez slops off, but looks disappointed. Diaz, too. He’s not had a good game, either.
64 min: Jota and Gakpo coming on soon. Nunez surely one of those to go. It’s been one of those Darwin days. (Wang Chung anyone?)
62 min: More chaos. Wharton, so elegant, almost gets Mateta away, and when Hughes is penalised, off go Liverpool. Trent Alexander-Arnold gets the chance to shoot and misses wildly.
60 min: More chaos, another loose touch, this time it’s Salah. And when Liverpool chase the second ball, Szoboszlai cranks it well over.
59 min: Alexander-Arnold tries to find a way through. Liverpool are pushing on gamely enough but the craft has deserted them so far. Diaz wins a corner, from where most of their danger has come.
57 min: Now Mac Allister makes a mess of a pass to Jones.
56 min: Nunez again on the gallop but again his touch is heavier than heaven itself and he blams it off the thigh of a Palace defender. It was probably meant to be a pass for Salah.
54 min: Better from Liverpool, better from Nunez, who flicks to Salah and Jones is stopped in the act. From the corner, the ball drops and Nunez must score…but can’t. Henderson’s thigh stops the ball.
52 min: Palace meanwhile look dangerous as Eze flashes the ball across goal after Mateta’s burst. Liverpool are panicking. Robertson – again – looks to get something going. The ball falls to Nunez who shoot from an impossible angle, practically behind the goal and shanks the ball into the Kop to groans.
51 min: Dechlan Brennan gets in touch: “Get the feeling the last couple of months have put a decent dollar value on Kelleher but Liverpool may struggle to hold on to him. Far too good to play second fiddle.”
He’s 25, too.
Rupak also gets in touch: “This match’s first half and the whole of Atalanta match have been very much like Liverpool of 2022-23, nervy, open, not creating much, looking lost in opposition box. Maybe, weirdly, they’re doing an Arsenal of last season, losing momentum at the business end, or maybe Klopp still has something in his hat to pull out. Let’s see whether the whole Liverpool team can muster the courage and composure like Robertson showed by saving that goal.”
50 min: The home fans cheered by Alexander-Arnold coming in, but booing Henderson as he takes his time on the ball. Mc Allister commits a tactical foul to stop Hughes sending away Olise and Eze.
48 min: Bradley looks in some pain, unable to put weight on his injury. Is that the end of his season? What a season it’s been. Roars for “Trent” as he comes on.
46 min: Back underway and what looks like bad news for Liverpool. He tackles Eze, and seems to have damaged his ankle. Trent Alexander-Arnold is coming on.
Half-time sub for Liverpool: Endo off, Szoboszlai on. Endo hadn’t had a good game.
Elsewhere in the world of football.
Half-time: Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace
The truth is this could have been so much worse for Liverpool, who have continued their Atalanta form. Without Andy Robertson’s desperate hack from the line, Palace – assured and with a clear plan – might have been further ahead.
45+2 min: Henderson patiently lets the ball drop into his area before picking it up and taking more time. Liverpool look ready for half-time, Anfield is quiet, with an undertow of grumbling from the fans as the whistle sounds.
45 min: Mateta dives headlong to divert the ball past Alisson’s right-hand post. Was Van Dijk clinging on? The striker seems to think so. Two more minutes added on here.
44 min: Liverpool remain in their frightful hurry. And tense, too. Endo loses the ball to yet more groans and Glasner urges on his team. Eze sends away Olise, who has his shot blocked. That came from a mistake from Konate.
42 min: Olise pings in a shot that Alisson has to dive down low to save. Next, Liverpool seem to be certain to score but Diaz makes a mess of his pass to Salah and was offside in any case. So much happening. Frantic is the word.
41 min: Eze attempts some magic in a dangerous area. Can Liverpool take advantage? No, Jones overhits it, to loud groans. They are struggling for rhythm.
39 min: Andersen has to step away to clear from Bradley, who has previously had to do far more defending than has been customary in his fledgling career.
38 min: Jones and Robertson are the two Liverpool players taking it to Palace. There are groans when Nunez loses possession. And boos while Henderson takes his time over a free-kick.
36 min: Palace skating through again. Endo gets caught and then Eze slips in Olise who loses his footing just as Alisson slides in. That’s a decent chance that’s been passed up.
34 min: Oliver Glasner can be heard urging on his team, his shiny white sneakers echoing the colours of the touchline. The game is chaotic, but it’s Liverpool who are frantic with worry and concern. Feels like if Glasner can get Palace clear this season they will a lot of fun next season. His Eintracht team were a good watch.
33 min: Mac Allister is fouled on the very edge of the Palace box. Free-kick, and a few contenders to take it. Mac himself takes it, but can’t beat the wall.
31 min: Palace cut through Liverpool down the left, and this time Van Dijk triggers the offside flag.
Title race twists and turns, you say? By crikey!
30 min: Rick Harris gets in touch: “Liverpool look shot and it is beginning to look like emulating United’s 3rd place and Carabao Cup win from last season may be their level when the dust settles. Klopp has chosen the right time to leave but maybe he should have waited until the end of the season to tell everyone.”
29 min: Close again! A save from Henderson, Robertson’s cross, Diaz’s shot. A fine save. All Liverpool now….Konate wallops wide from the resultant corner.
28 min: Liverpool hit the bar! Robertson takes the kick himself and then a madcap scramble ends with Endo swinging and hitting the bar. Palace smuggle the ball away somehow. Van Dijk, in the opposite box, again seemed unable to get his legs right.
27 min: Robertson, ever determined, forces a corner.
