Reds remain top of the Premier League. Five things we learned from Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool | OneFootball

Diogo Jota’s ninth-minute goal was enough to claim all three points for Liverpool to keep them top of the Premier League going into the international break, while Palace continue to struggle at the wrong end of the table. One blow for the Reds was the loss of Alisson with injury during the second half, and manager Arne Slot said the Brazilian keeper could be out “for weeks”.

Gerry Cox was at Selhurst Park for Hayters and here are five things we learned from the game.

Liverpool do just enough.

The Reds have a patchy record at Selhurst Park,where previous title bids have come unstuck, so they could be excused for going into this game with trepidation, especially when Eddie Nketiah put the ball in the net inside 30 seconds. But the former Arsenal striker was offside, and Jota’s early goal from a Cody Gakpo cross gave them a lead they never looked like relinquishing. It was not a classic Reds performance, but they should have won by more, with Jota missing two sitters and others going close.

Liverpool have the best defence in the country.

Title-winning sides are usually built on solid defences, and Arne Slot has got a formidable back line. They have conceded only two goals in seven Premier League games, comfortably the best record in the country, and have an unbeatable central defensive pairing in Ibrahim Konate and Virgil Van Dijk. The loss of Alisson for some weeks with injury might change their invincibility, but Caomhin Kelleher can come in – and even third choice keeper Vitezslav Jaros looked solid when called upon after Alisson was injured, making key saves an admittedly poor Palace attack.

Eddie Nketiah is poor value for £30m

Nketiah was well offside when he found the net early on, and the former Arsenal striker showed why he has struggled at Palace with another disappointing display. He did not have another sniff of goal in the first half, put a promising chance straight at Alisson in the second-half before being sent out on the right wing. He also made costly mistakes in giving the ball away several times. Never prolific at Arsenal, his £30m price tag looks too much for a striker who scored only six goals in all competitions last season and has only scored against QPR in the Carabao Cup this season.

Ryan Gravenberch is central to Liverpool’s success.

Arne Slot has found a perfect role for his fellow Dutchman, sitting in front of the back four, breaking up opposition attacks and setting up counter-attacks for the Reds. It is fair to claim that he is the best defensive central midfielder in the Premier League now that Rodri is injured, and he was again superb at Palace. Slot said: “He’s really comfortable with the ball, can turn away from his marker, and go past men. His highlights show his offensive work but he’s tall and strong defends well. He helps Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate and the others behind him.

Liverpool fans can thank Simon Hooper this time

Reds fans turned on referee Simon Hooper this time last year when he sent off Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota in a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham, as well as incorrectly disallowing a Luis Diaz goal. But it was Palace’s fans who gave the referee abuse at Selhurst Park, chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing” and booing him off at half-time and full-time. He failed to spot a foul by Virgil Van Dijk on Marc Guehi that could have been a penalty, and upset Palace fans with other decisions.

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