Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace: Mohamed Salah caps rampant campaign with one last goal as Reds lift Premier League trophy | OneFootball

Arne Slot’s side end their title-winning campaign with a four-match winless run

Liverpool’s month-long wait to lift the Premier League trophy finally came to an end at Anfield, but the Reds could not mark the occasion with a win as Mohamed Salah’s late equaliser rescued a point against Crystal Palace.

Arne Slot’s side confirmed their title four weeks ago to the day as they slammed five past Tottenham, and today the party could finally get underway. The team bus was welcomed to the ground by a throng of fans covered by a thick cloud of red smoke, and the pitch was strewn with balloons throughout the opening exchanges as a party mood filled Anfield.

The meeting never promised to be a classic, with Liverpool already firmly on the beach and Palace still riding the high of last weekend’s FA Cup triumph - it lived up to its billing. Once the spectacle of a rare double guard of honour had passed, most in the ground seemed more concerned with the post-match trophy lift than anything else, making for a flat affair.

Henderson impressed again between the sticks

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It was not without its moments, though. Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring early on with a goal from nowhere as Conor Bradley saw his pass cut out by Tyrick Mitchell, who played a pinpoint through ball to the Senegalese forward to finish past Alisson.

That was the defining moment of the opening 45 minutes, but there could have been several more. Jean-Philippe Mateta fell foul of the offside line twice, seeing one well-taken goal ruled out before he was spared blushes by the linesman’s flag, having hit the underside of the bar from inside the six-yard box.

The same was true at the opposite end. Liverpool enjoyed plenty of possession but could only float cross after speculative cross into the area, many of which were comfortably dealt with by Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards. Salah, far from his best on the day, played a tidy ball over the top for Luis Diaz to shoot from close range, but his effort was smothered by Dean Henderson, who has finished the season on fantastic form.

Gravenberch saw red for a clumsy tackle on kamada

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Trent Alexander-Arnold was rather cruelly excluded from Slot’s starting eleven ahead of his final Liverpool match, but was introduced at half time to make his Anfield bow. His addition was met with a round of applause from the home support in pleasant contrast to the boos which awaited him upon the initial announcement that he would leave the club.

He was desperate to mark his swansong with a moment worthy of Monday’s back pages, attempting a 25-yard volley at goal shortly before the hour mark, but did not catch it well and missed well wide. That moment nearly came as he launched a stunning through-ball to Darwin Nunez from well within his own half, but Henderson was there again, quick off his line to deny the Uruguayan.

Ryan Gravenberch ended a resurgent campaign on a low note as he was shown a red card with 20 minutes remaining in the tie. The Dutchman was caught in the press by Daichi Kamada and lashed out clumsily, catching the man and missing the ball entirely as he looked to retake possession.

Salah’s equaliser, a Paolo Di Canio-esque volley, drew him level with the all-time record for most goals and assists in a Premier League campaign, but he could not find the all-important winner to take him clear of Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s tally. The Egyptian King will have to make do with the Golden Boot, Playmaker of the Season, and Player of the Year awards.

The party will rage on overnight for Liverpool, with the full-time whistle followed by that long-awaited trophy lift ahead of tomorrow’s planned three-hour bus parade. Palace can say the same, as they head straight back to London to mark the Bank Holiday with a parade of their own.